Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Play trailer

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

R

2005

1h 42m

Mystery & Thriller

LGBTQ+

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

185 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Two-bit crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) stumbles into an audition for a mystery film while on the run from the cops. Winning the part, he lands in Hollywood, where he's flung into a tangled, murderous conspiracy with his childhood sweetheart, Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), and hard-boiled private eye Perry van Shrike (Val Kilmer). This deadpan, affectionate parody of film noir tropes is named for film critic Pauline Kael's influential 1968 collection of film reviews and essays.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Tongue-in-cheek satire blends well with entertaining action and spot-on performances in this dark, eclectic neo-noir homage.

Read Critics Reviews

Christopher Orr

The Atlantic

12/14/2014

The plot of the film is almost willfully convoluted. But it's also largely beside the point, an excuse for quite a few good scenes, most of them equal parts homage and subversion.

Go to Full Review

Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

12/14/2014

A sarky, sniping film noir homage that assassinates the character of every LA archetype you could imagine.

Go to Full Review

Philippa Hawker

The Age (Australia)

12/14/2014

4/5

A self-referential noir-screwball-action movie that never wears out its welcome -- although it delights in taking that risk, over and over again.

Go to Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Mar 19

4/5

‘…a clever, funny, original take on the noir genre…’

Go to Full Review

James D. Williams

InSession Film

Nov 14

A

This movie is one of the few noir black comedies with action that we have from the early aughts that had its own voice.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

04/09/2025

3/4

From its opening moments, it’s clear Black isn’t making a buddy/action movie as much as a send-up of a buddy/action movie.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Shawna R

@Shawnarrr 1d

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a magnificent collision of bullets, bad decisions, sarcastic assholes, and Robert Downey Jr. talking like his brain is being chased by the police. The banter is razor-sharp, the plot is gloriously tangled, and Val Kilmer plays a gay private detective with the patience of a man who has been assigned the world’s dumbest client, which, naturally, is Robert Downey Jr. Every character is either lying, dying, flirting, or spectacularly screwing things up. Five stars. A beautiful mess of murder, comedy, and smart-ass dialogue. Hollywood has never looked this dangerously stupid.

See more

Antony B

@RT29664284 Jul 26

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a glorious mess in all the right ways, a detective story that zigzags between laughs, danger, and genuine heartbreak without ever losing its footing. Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer are electric together, trading sharp banter with the kind of chemistry you can't fake. Every twist feels playful instead of forced, and beneath the wisecracks is a surprisingly tender story about broken people fumbling toward redemption. It's the rare noir that reminds you life can be absurd, violent, hilarious, and strangely beautiful, all before the next punchline lands.

See more

Jay B

@Jay2025 Jul 5

Ok acting but very good crime, Comedy, or Romance

See more

S. O

@Col._Angus Jun 10

Mainly silly, but still entertaining. Kind of a fairy tale.

See more

Interested P

@Interested Jun 7

There's no denying Shane Black is a great writer, a legend. That said, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was trying too hard to appear clever instead of actually being clever. The playfulness of the plot and the way it was told undercut the drama such that the end result is a viewing that felt very low on stakes. Finally, having a gay detective felt like a gimmick instead of feeling like an organic inclusion. Boondock Saints did this as well, having a gay FBI agent. It's a cheap character that relies on being gay as the joke, instead of simply writing a good, interesting character.

See more

Maarit L

@Komedienne Jun 3

The movie had plenty of good humor and funny moments. I enjoyed it, even though the plot wasn’t particularly strong. The cast was excellent!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Shane Black

Director

Robert Downey Jr.

Harry Lockhart

Val Kilmer

Gay Perry

Michelle Monaghan

Harmony Faith Lane

Corbin Bernsen

Harlan Dexter

Dash Mihok

Mr. Frying Pan

Diabolique

23%

39%

Diabolique

Watchlist

Bound

88%

83%

Bound

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Bound

The Night Listener

40%

35%

The Night Listener

Watchlist

Conspiracy Theory

59%

64%

Conspiracy Theory

Watchlist

Taking Lives

21%

54%

Taking Lives

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Two-bit crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) stumbles into an audition for a mystery film while on the run from the cops. Winning the part, he lands in Hollywood, where he's flung into a tangled, murderous conspiracy with his childhood sweetheart, Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), and hard-boiled private eye Perry van Shrike (Val Kilmer). This deadpan, affectionate parody of film noir tropes is named for film critic Pauline Kael's influential 1968 collection of film reviews and essays.

Director: Shane Black
Producer: Shane Black, Joel Silver
Screenwriter: Shane Black
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Silver Pictures, Warner Brothers
Rating: R (Nudity|Language|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 11, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.2M
Runtime: 1h 42m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings