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Little Odessa

Play trailer Poster for Little Odessa R 1994 1h 38m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
55% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Long separated from his Russian family, hit man Joshua returns to Brighton Beach for a contract killing for the Russian Mafia. His abusive father, Arkady, banned him from returning after Joshua committed his first murder. He takes up residence in a hotel, and soon everyone knows he has returned. He goes home to visit his dying mother, Irina, and prepares for the assassination, getting drawn back into the criminal community he left behind.
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Little Odessa

Critics Reviews

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Jake Cole Slant Magazine Aug 14, 2026
James Gray’s zeal for the operatic was evident from the start of his career. Go to Full Review
Anthony Puccinelli Chicago Reader Jun 7, 2022
1/4
Little Odessa is the kind of tragedy where the father always forgets the syrup. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Jan 1, 2000
2/4
[Little Odessa] is neither a family drama nor a crime melodrama, but a series of disconnected scenes that play like exercises -- some of them very good ones. Go to Full Review
Quentin Crisp Christopher Street Apr 21, 2022
The film has no plot. The audience never knows why the murders take place and soon ceases to care. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Mar 13, 2008
B-
This dark, brooding family melodrama, set against the context of Brooklyn's Russian-Jewish mob, is well acted by Tim Roth, Maximillian Schell, Vanessa Redgrave, and Edward Furlong. Go to Full Review
Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Feb 21, 2008
1/5
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Audience Reviews

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Thomas V @TomVee 1 day ago Bleak, tragic story of Russian mobsters and the fallout for family and relationships, with fine performances from Tim Roth and Edward Furlong. Strong, stark cinematography highlights the winter settings in Brighton Beach and desolate waterfront and industrial locations nearby. The soundtrack is haunting and minimalist, and there are large sections with no music, which heightens the sense of hopelessness and isolation. While it's all familiar cinematic territory, it's all quite well done and very worth watching. See more Max M. @Househuntermax Mar 9, 2026 Gritty crime thriller with a tense family drama expertly wrapped up inside of it. Great performances all around. Excellent movie. See more Qinq D @RT14362661 Sep 15, 2025 This dark, brooding family melodrama, set against the context of Brooklyn's Russian-Jewish mob, is well acted by Tim Roth, Maximillian Schell, Vanessa Redgrave, and Edward Furlong See more Dominic I. @Giomeeseeks Aug 6, 2025 (SPOILERS) I wasn’t aware Eddie Furlong would die :( See more Virgo V @vision Jan 10, 2025 Little Odessa is a 1994 American crime drama film directed and written by James Gray, in his directorial debut and starring Tim Roth, Edward Furlong, Moira Kelly, Maximilian Schell and Vanessa Redgrave. The title is a reference to Brighton Beach, a community in Brooklyn nicknamed "Little Odessa." Little Odessa earned a Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and the prestigious Grand Prix of the Belgian Film Critics Association. It also earned admiration from French New Wave filmmaker Claude Chabrol. Little Odessa is a crime drama film that received positive reviews for its direction, acting and themes. Direction Some say James Gray's debut film was a stunning achievement, with impressive control over the actors and a haunting mood. Others say the film was carefully staged and had effective dramatic beats. Acting Some say Vanessa Redgrave gave a superb performance and that Maximilian Schell and Tim Roth were also excellent. Others say Tim Roth gave his finest performance to date. Themes Some say the film is a Dostoyevskian examination of tainted morality. Others say it's a dark, spare piece that explores family and fate. See more Alec B @Alec97 Nov 10, 2023 You can see brief flashes of potential brilliance, but the fact that none of them amount to anything only makes the film more disappointing. Also, I hope that whoever was the boom mic operator for this never worked again. See more Read all reviews
Little Odessa

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Movie Info

Synopsis Long separated from his Russian family, hit man Joshua returns to Brighton Beach for a contract killing for the Russian Mafia. His abusive father, Arkady, banned him from returning after Joshua committed his first murder. He takes up residence in a hotel, and soon everyone knows he has returned. He goes home to visit his dying mother, Irina, and prepares for the assassination, getting drawn back into the criminal community he left behind.
Director
James Gray
Producer
Paul Webster, Kerry Orent
Production Co
New Line Cinema, Live Entertainment, Fine Line Features
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA)
$989.9K
Runtime
1h 38m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
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