The Newton Boys

PG-13

Released Mar 27, 1998

2 hr. 2 min.

Crime

Drama

List

65%

40 Reviews

Tomatometer

44%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Seeking an escape from poverty, sibling Texas farmers (Matthew McConaughey, Skeet Ulrich, Ethan Hawke) gain notoriety as daring 1920s bank robbers.

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Critics Consensus

The Newton Boys uses a sharp cast and absorbing period detail to help make up for the frustrations of a story puzzlingly short on dramatic tension.

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Jelisije J

A movie that had no real stakes and was so light hearted that I had to keep reminding myself that this was a movie about a family of bank robbers who never killed anybody during their entire run of robbing banks.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Newton Boys had it all Based on true events this focuses on the most successful bank robbers during the 1920s and on the 1994 book by Claude Stanush An all-star cast of Matthew McConaughey, Ethan Hawke, Dwight Yokam, Skeet Ulrich, Julianna Margulies, and Vincent D'Onofrio directed by the renowned Richard Linklater Willis the main lead lands in jail due to a miscarriage of justice so he feels the only way to climb the social ladder is by having monetary means The titular brothers embarked on a crime spree across the nation into Canada The thing is they only do their activities at night to avoid casualties I thought this was fine This is a very silent movie; lots of quiet moments The story is frustratingly short on dramatic tension But they left behind a big legacy as far as criminals go; they survived the largest train robbery making it to a ripe old age---almost what no other outlaws have done in history This is flawed but well presented with these men posting themselves as social rectifiers

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Obviously embellished but sticks to the grit of the era. A surprise clutch performance by Dwight Yoakam as well. The small ensemble cast keeps you engaged in charm and drama.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

david l

The Newton Boys has a great ensemble cast, terrific attention to period detail and a wonderful opening credits sequence that emulates 20s silent flicks so well, but most of the movie is forgettable and it lacks any feeling of suspense to it. It's also repetitive and overlong.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

camille l

Aussi sympathique que Richard Linklater veuille les faire passer (ce qu'ils étaient sûrement comme le démontre les images d'archives pendant les crédits) à l'image de son film, les Newton Boys ne méritaient peut-être pas un film de deux longues heures. En effet, ce film de braquages manque malheureusement de braquages et surtout d'une structure logique, qui fait disparaître bon nombre de personnages pour les retrouver de longues scènes plus tard, sans véritable intérêt. C'est dommage pour le quatuor principal, dont Ethan Hawke se sort sans véritable effort grâce à son charisme naturel et sa faculté à jouer toutes sortes de rôles.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great movie, great actors & it's based on a true story! What more can you ask for!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

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Richard Linklater

Director

Matthew McConaughey

Willis Newton

Skeet Ulrich

Joe Newton

Ethan Hawke

Jess Newton

Vincent D'Onofrio

Dock Newton

Julianna Margulies

Louise Brown

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Critical Consensus: Critics Do the "Hustle," Escape "Island" and "Bears"

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Mike Clark

Washington Post

As portrayed by Matthew McConaughey in his first fully satisfying screen performance, Willis Newton regards his three younger brothers and their associates as social rectifiers who take money only from the real thieves: bankers and their directors.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 9, 2018

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: B-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

Variety

A handsome production that nicely evokes the 1920s and a likeable cast headed by McConaughey can't compensate for a Western-gangster film that's too diffuse and lacks a discernibel POV to be dramatically engaging.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 23, 2006

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Better than its ads would lead you to believe, but it’s a vague and mostly uninvolving film.

Rated: C

Sep 2, 2022

Full Review

David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

What the film communicates perhaps above all is Linklater's deep belief in the resiliency and ingenuity of human beings, his confidence in their ability to resist, by whatever means at their disposal, unfair and unjust conditions.

Feb 16, 2021

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Rated: 3/5

Mar 20, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

Seeking an escape from poverty, sibling Texas farmers (Matthew McConaughey, Skeet Ulrich, Ethan Hawke) gain notoriety as daring 1920s bank robbers.

Director: Richard Linklater
Executive Producer: John Sloss
Screenwriter: Claude Stanush, Richard Linklater, Claude Stanush, Clark Walker
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox, Newton Boys Ventures, Inc., Detour Filmproduction
Rating: PG-13 (Violence|Language|Bloody Aftermath of a Shooting)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 27, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.3M
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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