The Killing

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The Killing

1956

1h 23m

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

47 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Career criminal Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) recruits a sharpshooter (Timothy Carey), a crooked police officer (Ted de Corsia), a bartender (Joe Sawyer) and a betting teller named George (Elisha Cook Jr.), among others, for one last job before he goes straight and marries his fiancee, Fay (Coleen Gray). But when George tells his restless wife, Sherry (Marie Windsor), about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.

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Critics Consensus

An expertly crafted noir with more on its mind than stylishly staged violence, The Killing establishes Stanley Kubrick as a filmmaker of uncommon vision and control.

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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

This taut crime picture was one of the earliest films in the career of Stanley Kubrick, but something of the director's voice and characteristic preoccupations are already evident here.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 5, 2015

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Glenn Heath Jr.

Slant Magazine

Underneath The Killing's clockwork violence is a pungent layer of irony, something Kubrick would further explore many times later in his career.

Rated: 4/4

Sep 14, 2013

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David Thomson

The New Republic

Faultless and enjoyable.

Jun 24, 2013

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Michael Clark

Epoch Times

Director Stanley Kubrick’s third feature, “The Killing” barely made a dent at the box office when it was first released in 1956 but is now regarded as one of the greatest and most influential heist films ever made.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 2, 2025

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A crackling film noir.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 31, 2022

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Stanley Kubrick is in full command of this tightly-paced, tense 84-minute crime thriller.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 25, 2022

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Tom F

A year before hitting his stride with Paths of Glory, Kubrick makes a run at a complex heist tale. Lots of good stuff, but not helped by unnecessary narration and soap opera-ish interludes. Probably of most interest to students of Kubrick and the evolving tropes of the heist movie.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/10/25

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Ted B

4.0 stars; An extremely well-done heist caper film. What's so compelling about this movie is how it sticks to the story and doesn't drift off into a bunch of side stories. The film's plot has a clever format. The robbery involves meticulous detail, which is kept from the audience and revealed as it takes place. Almost all of the dialogue is directed at the caper, so the actors are on their own to give depth to their characters' roles. This is an early film (1956) of Stanley Kubrick. I think it shows his talent and a preview of his much successful career.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/24/25

Full Review

Chris H

OK, this is an old film, it looks a bit dated and it's in black and white - so my kids wouldn't watch it. Having got that out of the way, what we have is a heist movie that is more clever than most and is laden with irony. The nonlinear narrative is all the rage now too, of course, and this film was apparently an influence on Reservoir Dogs. Every member of the gang has a need for money, but they're not angels. Sterling Hayden is billed as the star, but the real star turns here are by Elisha Cook Jr and Marie Windsor, whose character is so revolting you're waiting for someone to kill her. She's not the intended victim, however - that's a horse.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/04/25

Full Review

Stephen C

1 hour and 23 minutes of crime drama!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/23/25

Full Review

Ralph B

The Killing is a movie streamlined and lacks extraneous fluff. SK's genius is earmarked with smooth pacing, type-cast acting, and interesting chronology.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/15/25

Full Review

Farah R

Stanley Kubrick's noir is well-written and expertly acted. If only it weren't too slow to be enjoyable.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/12/25

Full Review

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Stanley Kubrick

Director

Sterling Hayden

Johnny Clay

Coleen Gray

Fay

Vince Edwards

Val Cannon

Jay C. Flippen

Marvin Unger

Marie Windsor

Sherry Peatty

The Killing: Official Clip - Robbing the Robbers

2:35

The Killing: Official Clip - Dead at 4:24

2:12

The Killing: Official Clip - Holding Up the Racetrack Bank

2:12

The Killing: Official Clip - Maurice Creates the Distraction

2:00

The Killing: Official Clip - I Know You Like a Book

1:28

The Killing: Official Clip - Going Over the Plan

2:43

The Killing: Official Clip - Sherry Baby

2:06

The Killing: Official Clip - Worth the Risk

2:13

The Killing: Official Clip - Caught Snooping

1:59

The Killing: Official Clip - Blowin' in the Wind

2:13

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Synopsis

Career criminal Johnny Clay (Sterling Hayden) recruits a sharpshooter (Timothy Carey), a crooked police officer (Ted de Corsia), a bartender (Joe Sawyer) and a betting teller named George (Elisha Cook Jr.), among others, for one last job before he goes straight and marries his fiancee, Fay (Coleen Gray). But when George tells his restless wife, Sherry (Marie Windsor), about the scheme to steal millions from the racetrack where he works, she hatches a plot of her own.

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Producer: James B. Harris
Screenwriter: Stanley Kubrick, Jim Thompson, Lionel White
Distributor: United Artists, Criterion Collection
Production Co: Harris-Kubrick Productions
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 20, 1956, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 5, 2016
Runtime: 1h 23m

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