Jar City

Released Feb 29, 2008

1h 33m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

95%

37 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A worn-out cop investigates a murder that is strangely similar to one 30 years earlier.

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Critics Consensus

A sublimely directed thriller, Jar City combines murder mystery, family drama and ample bits of Icelandic culture into a fascinating cinematic experience.

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Emma C

Boring, not the thriller I expected.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Dour and gritty Icelandic police procedural thriller. I would say it has it's moments but in truth there are no real highlights, it just grinds on to an admittedly intriguing conclusion unfortunately leaving little real impact along the way.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

yukiko h

Terrible , " Ew " story . Original title is " Myrin " as Iceland language , means " wetland " . Iceland population is so smaller than another Nordic countries at all , Norway , Sweden , Finland , Danmark , is Nether Land Nordic ? Then , a murder happened . Detective middle age man was hearing about victim's … Iceland people is connecting each other tight as smaller population country , by the way . Their ancient is " Vikings " almost , and Scottish fishermen and Irish fishermen . Then , some Christian monks had lived at Iceland , used to be , but , no evidence at Iceland . Why there are no evidence ? Christian monks never have their own children by themselves at all . That's why . Then , some Iceland families have North American " First Nation " DNA , amazing . Vikings had arrived North America before Christobal Colombo many centuries ago . It's almost 500 years ago . A.D. 1,000 , almost . Millennium . And Vikings had taken First Nation's women to Iceland , DNA never lies . Then , I don't blame to Vikings why took First Nation women to Iceland , by the way . It was 1,000 years ago . Anyway , people reproduce , always . Then , tragedy happened . Recently , many Nordic writers's books are published , this original book , too . I don't read this original book yet . Movie is interesting , but , pretty old a little . Then , I don't hate Iceland at all , I like to visit Iceland so much .

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This is the almost best mystery film for me.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

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john m

A creepy, gritty crime thriller. It's a little too cold to fully latch onto any character or idea which keeps it from being great.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of those hidden gems that will be difficult to forget.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

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Baltasar Kormákur

Director

Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson

Erlendur

Ágústa Eva Erlendsdóttir

Eva Lind

Björn Hlynur Haraldsson

Sigurður Óli

Ólafía Hrönn Jónsdóttir

Elínborg

Atli Rafn Sigurðsson

Örn

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Kormákur, who made the highly original 101 Reykjavik, is clearly saying something pessimistic about his homeland and, as a film-maker, has the means to do so to some effect.

Rated: 3/5

Sep 12, 2008

Full Review

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh

Metro Newspaper (UK)

A disturbing, bleak, multilayered mystery that will not just worm under your flesh but also wriggle inside your nightmares.

Sep 12, 2008

Full Review

Anthony Quinn

Independent (UK)

The burden of this Icelandic procedural thriller will put a chill in your bones, if the lugubrious, wind-whipped coastal setting hasn't done already.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 12, 2008

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

615 Film

This is like Iceland’s Gone Baby Gone. A, forgive the pun, chilling procedural about generational sin. It’ll make you want to lock your door, get under a nice blanket with a cup of cocoa and shut the world out.

Oct 21, 2022

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A well-crafted police procedural written and directed by the Icelandic director Baltasar Kormakur.

Rated: B

Sep 30, 2015

Full Review

Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

Unnerving and emotional, this police thriller has an unnerving breadth and depth, as a murder case opens a decades-old inquiry that brings all kinds of dark creepiness with it. It's like an Icelandic twist on Seven.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 12, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

A worn-out cop investigates a murder that is strangely similar to one 30 years earlier.

Director: Baltasar Kormákur
Screenwriter: Arnaldur Indriðason
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Blueeyes Productions, Nordisk Film, Degeto Film
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: Icelandic
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 29, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 27, 2016
Runtime: 1h 33m

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