The Ladykillers

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The Ladykillers

R

Released Mar 26, 2004

1h 44m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

54%

Tomatometer

189 Reviews

43%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Professor G.H. Dorr (Tom Hanks), a courtly Southern gentleman, arrives at the home of devout, elderly Marva Munson (Irma P. Hall), hoping to rent her extra room and use her basement to rehearse with his classical music ensemble. His fellow musicians, however, are actually criminals, and together they plan to rob a casino. When Mrs. Munson learns of their plan, they decide she must be silenced. Certainly, murdering one little old lady cannot be too difficult.

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Critics Consensus

Hanks' performance in the lead role is inspired, but this is a relatively minor offering from the Coen brothers.

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Will Self

London Evening Standard

It is not the blockbuster the (Coen) brothers hanker after, and it is not going to be a critical success, but, for me, it is the best comedy they have managed.

Jan 9, 2018

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Some wicked pleasures for mature teens and adults.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 28, 2010

Full Review

David Edelstein

Slate

The Ladykillers is small and compact -- it doesn't kill, it's just a doodle -- but it's a very pleasant cartoon for grown-ups. It's some sweet fodder.

Aug 18, 2007

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Tom Hanks, who is pretty much one of the most dependable actors around these days, does what he can to make this character his own.

Rated: 3.0/4.0

Sep 13, 2020

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

The nadir of the Coen brothers' directorial career.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 2, 2020

Full Review

Kaleem Aftab

The List

The Coens have such a distinctive style they hardly need to bother with such a specific homage, yet the unsure comic timing on show here would suggest that they couldn't their name in the snow in comparison with original director Alexander Mackendrick.

Rated: 2/5

Apr 18, 2019

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Stephen C

Unfunny in 1 hour and 44 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/16/25

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Tilly B

The original Ealing film remains to the day one of the greatest comedies of all time. I high recommend it to anyone. This Coen brothers remake loses all of the charm and intensity of the original. The characters are cartoon like and unsympathetic. It is very difficult to care what happens to them.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/14/25

Full Review

Conrad G

Hate on me all you want. I love this movie!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/08/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, o elenco é bacaninha mas ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, o filme tem o tom Hanks que tenta ser um bom protagonista mas ele não consegue, o filme não tem cenas relevantes que possam fazer o filme ser bom, com tudo isso, eu não recomendo esse filme.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/14/25

Full Review

Alec B

I remain somewhat confused by the excessively negative reviews. Its different enough from the original to negate excessive comparison and while many of the performances are cartoonish, that is normal for the Coen's other comedies that people seem to like. Personally I think the tone works as does the moral dark comedy elements.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

Full Review

Aender S

Good, but the film with Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers is better.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/13/24

Full Review

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Joel Coen

Director

Tom Hanks

Goldthwait Higginson Dorr III, Ph.D.

Irma P. Hall

Marva Munson

Marlon Wayans

Gawain McSam

J.K. Simmons

Garth Pancake

Tzi Ma

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Synopsis

Professor G.H. Dorr (Tom Hanks), a courtly Southern gentleman, arrives at the home of devout, elderly Marva Munson (Irma P. Hall), hoping to rent her extra room and use her basement to rehearse with his classical music ensemble. His fellow musicians, however, are actually criminals, and together they plan to rob a casino. When Mrs. Munson learns of their plan, they decide she must be silenced. Certainly, murdering one little old lady cannot be too difficult.

Director: Joel Coen
Producer: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Barry Sonnenfeld
Screenwriter: Max D. Adams, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Jacobson Company
Rating: R (Sexual References|Language)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 26, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $39.7M
Runtime: 1h 44m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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