The Killing

Released May 20, 1956

1 hr. 23 min.

Crime

Drama

List

96%

47 Reviews

Tomatometer

92%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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mark g

When watching the direction and listening to the incredible dialog, you know the man behind the camera is special. Crime Noir at it's finest.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/04/24

Full Review

Yash B

Even though the heist genre has been done countless times, Stanley Kubrick's "The Killing" feels completely original and unique. The movie is probably the most fun movie from the legendary filmmaker's filmography. It is fast-paced and enjoyable and genuinely kept me engaged once the heist sequence started. I liked how it didn't give everything away right away and it made more and more sense as it went along. I think it is a great example of how to tell a story and present characters in this type of movie. Overall, it isn't necessarily the best movie Kubrick ever did, but it is the easiest to watch and maybe has the most rewatch value simply because of how much fun it is.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/23/24

Full Review

ed m

Great film noir by Stanley Kubrick. You can see the clear influence on Quentin Tarantino and the Coen brothers.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/24

Full Review

Mitzie G

It would be watchable if Det. Steve Holder wasn't in it. He's so unlikable it's tough to focus on the story. Couldn't get through season 4

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/19/24

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Edward K

Really good. Great plot. Good acting. Very watchable. Well done.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/11/24

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harwee h

Stunning, fast paced Kubrick film that is full of twist. Told in a documentary style, the film was quite ahead of its time, with its jumping/looping timeline not being a familiar structure at that time. Some of the exposition needed some trimming. Otherwise, a must see for fans of classic crime drama.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/25/23

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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

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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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Wendy Ide

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

David Thomson

The New Republic

Faultless and enjoyable.

Jun 24, 2013

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

A crackling film noir.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jul 31, 2022

Full Review

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

Full Review

Arlene Croce

Film Culture

[Kubrick's] new film bears evidence of a fresh and maturing talent and completely belies the impression given by his earlier efforts -- that of a college boy who, in a semester's turning, had gone from comic books to Oedipus Rex.

Mar 28, 2022

Full Review

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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
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

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