Killer Joe

TV-MA

2011

1 hr. 41 min.

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

80%

172 Reviews

Tomatometer

61%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A cop (Matthew McConaughey) who moonlights as a hit man agrees to kill the hated mother of a desperate drug dealer (Emile Hirsch) in exchange for a tumble with the young man's virginal sister (Juno Temple).

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Premiered Feb 08

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Critics Consensus

Violent, darkly comic, and full of strong performances, Killer Joe proves William Friedkin hasn't lost his touch, even if the plot may be too lurid for some.

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Steve C

I think even the pervs could not get off on it.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/17/24

Full Review

Miles B

This was an unexpected find on Amazon Prime. If you enjoy dark comedy, you may like this movie. I might even watch it again someday.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

Brian BUGSY M

One absolute piece of you know what. And Emile Hirsch is the worst actor of our times. Were these actors that desperate to work with William friedkin?

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/28/23

Full Review

Stoner J

Whenever Tracy Letts and Friedkin team up it's insane magic! Killer Joe (and Bug) are just crazy, funny and totally bloody. Definitely recommend this and Bug

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/14/23

Full Review

prawnda s

it feels like a bad fanmade side story to true detective season 1. there's a lot of violence and nudity, some grimy aesthetics, but the writing is less than subtle and the story less than original. im a fan of pretty much every member of the cast, but the production values are pretty mediocre, and the ending is an unsatisfying cacophany. there is zero "dark comedy" to be had here unless you think that ernest is automatically funny just for being on screen. overall, it's watchable, but arguably idealizes sexual predators as much as it objectifies juno temple, and it leaves a bit of a foul taste in the mouth. it makes sense that the film was heavily edited for various releases, because the "ultraviolence" isn't accompanied with the right ironic aesthetics, and it was a flaw for the audience to be presented with joe as somewhat of a protagonist. in one sense, this is a genius concept because it makes the audience feel just as betrayed as the characters in the film do, but on the other hand it's given up a little bit too early for that emphasis to hit, and there is for too much graphic sexual assault after the fact.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/08/23

Full Review

graham j

A near perfect film... atmosphere, acting, characterisation, story, dialogue and camerawork. Matthew McConaughey is palpably menacing here, reminiscent of the preacher from the Night of the Hunter. RIP William Friedkin.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/09/23

Full Review

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William Friedkin

Director

Matthew McConaughey

"Killer" Joe Cooper

Emile Hirsch

Chris Smith

Juno Temple

Dottie Smith

Gina Gershon

Sharla Smith

Thomas Haden Church

Ansel Smith

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62%

20%

Lying and Stealing

TRAILER

for Lying and Stealing

51%

33%

Brighton Rock

37%

24%

Swerve

12%

18%

The Informers

94%

86%

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Tom Long

Detroit News

If you like your movies filled with twisted humor, sexual perversion, psychological intimidation and sudden violence, "Killer Joe" is the flick for you.

Rated: B

Aug 31, 2012

Full Review

Joe Williams

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Watching "Killer Joe" to the bitter end is like playing the Pick 6 lottery and getting three of the numbers right. You don't win anything, but you still think you're smarter than all those other idiots.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 24, 2012

Full Review

Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

[Friedkin] has retained his touch ... all these years later. And in Matthew McConaughey, he has the perfect vehicle for madness.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 23, 2012

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

In Killer Joe, director William Friedkin reaches magnificent new lows as he descends into playwright Tracy Letts' world of southern-fried depravity, stupidity, sexuality, and possibly (almost certainly) madness.

Rated: 4/4

Oct 3, 2022

Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Killer Joe is pitched squarely as a rotted black comedy of errors, a cavalcade of one disaster after another from a bunch of fools tripping over themselves in the pursuit of the one thing that drives America: Greed

Rated: 8.5/10

Sep 23, 2022

Full Review

Kip Mooney

College Movie Review

You won't see anything else like it this year.

Rated: B

Sep 18, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

A cop (Matthew McConaughey) who moonlights as a hit man agrees to kill the hated mother of a desperate drug dealer (Emile Hirsch) in exchange for a tumble with the young man's virginal sister (Juno Temple).

Director: William Friedkin
Executive Producer: Christopher Woodrow, Molly Conners, Vicki Cherkas, Zev Foreman
Screenwriter: Tracy Letts
Production Co: Voltage Pictures, Ana Media
Rating: TV-MA, R (Graphic Nudity|Drug Use|Strong Disturbing Violence|Language|Sexuality)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 3, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.0M

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