One Day as a Lion

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2:42

One Day as a Lion

R

Released Apr 4, 2023

1h 27m

Crime

Drama

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

20 Reviews

48%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Jackie Powers (Scott Caan) is a nice guy but a lousy hit man, and when he’s sent to take out a crafty debtor (J.K. Simmons), Jackie only pisses him off. Fleeing the scene, Jackie takes bored waitress Lola as a hostage. When Jackie reveals he needs money to get his son out of jail, Lola cooks up a scheme for them to get cash from her dying mother (Virginia Madsen). Meanwhile, a thug sent to kill him is sleeping with Jackie's ex. Also starring Frank Grillo, this crime-comedy is a witty homage to Tarantino and the Coen brothers.

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Noel Murray

Los Angeles Times

The movie has the kind of personality and heart too often missing from grimy little crime pictures. It’s endearingly ramshackle.

Apr 11, 2023

Full Review

Todd Jorgenson

Cinemalogue

Tying together its subplots in the final act, this mishmash of genre tropes and eccentric characters occasionally sparks to life but overall feels more familiar than fresh.

May 26, 2023

Full Review

Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

... mixes drama and comedy to fascinating effect, crafting a film that evokes the narratives of a classic Elmore Leonard tale with the expected crime tropes, but executes in a way in which it comes off fresh and with plenty of heart.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 15, 2023

Full Review

Carla Hay

Culture Mix

One Day as a Lion has the whimper of a weak and rambling vanity project rather than the roar of a great action flick. Scott Caan just wants to show off doing fight scenes in his underwear. J.K. Simmons is slumming it in this garbage film.

Apr 24, 2023

Full Review

Mark Jackson

Epoch Times

Scott Caan has definitely earned his place at the table; this is not his father James's showbiz. Now you have to write, produce, and often direct the vehicle that allows you to do some acting. Caan the younger is good at this. Hope to see more soon.

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 21, 2023

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A harmless crime B-film that never roars.

Rated: C+

Apr 17, 2023

Full Review

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Lloyd S

Awful movie! Terrible plot and acting. Dozed off so many times and didn't want to rewind to watch the part I missed. Wouldn't recommend. And Grillo Is such an awful actor, no wonder he gets roles only from sh*tty movies like this one. He is like Nicolas Cage, he takes everything comes to his hand.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/06/24

Full Review

Mike P

An incompetent Tarantino/Coen Brothers wannabe with a preposterous plot and a script feels like a rough draft. As the movie drags on, things get progressively less believable and interesting. If you watch this movie to the end, be sure to stick around for a truly baffling mid credits scene where Scott Caan, who wrote this mess, fights a guy in his underwear in a hotel room—the second time this happens in the movie. This movie is like if Tommy Wiseau tried to write his version of True Romance.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/14/24

Full Review

Estefani M

It was very funny and I hope Scott makes more movies in the future he's really good at making movies

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/28/23

Full Review

Glen B

Terrible movie. Trailer looked good but its not. Character falls in love way too quickly and easily, the dialogue is pretty unremarkable and the plot was pretty shallow. It felt like some scenes were trying to be funny but didn't quite pull it off.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/09/23

Full Review

Nic A

Snooze fest. Very slow and disappointing.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/27/23

Full Review

Frank L

If you're a fan of odd gangster comedies, " One Day as a Lion" is a must-watch! This film has it all. Solid direction, great acting performances, and a lovely, offbeat story that keeps you entertained from start to finish. The dialogue is true to life, and the characters are so likeable that you'll find yourself rooting for them throughout the entire movie. What I particularly loved about "The Good" is that it's been a while since I've seen a good gangster comedy that hit all the right notes. But this film did not disappoint, and I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end. It's a rare gem that manages to combine humor, action, and heart all in one package. And let's talk about the cast! It's a who's who of A-listers, each delivering top-notch performances that add to the film's overall success. Who does not like Frank Grillo, J. K. Simmons, Scott Caan and Virginia Madsen in the same movie? You won't want to miss a single moment of this clever and delightful flick. So, grab some popcorn, settle in, and get ready to enjoy this movie, you won't be disappointed!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/20/23

Full Review

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Swab

Director

Scott Caan

Jackie Powers

Frank Grillo

Pauly Russo

Marianne Rendón

Lola Brisky

Taryn Manning

Taylor Love

Slaine

Actor

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One Day as a Lion: Exclusive Movie Clip - My Friend

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One Day as a Lion: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Jackie Powers (Scott Caan) is a nice guy but a lousy hit man, and when he’s sent to take out a crafty debtor (J.K. Simmons), Jackie only pisses him off. Fleeing the scene, Jackie takes bored waitress Lola as a hostage. When Jackie reveals he needs money to get his son out of jail, Lola cooks up a scheme for them to get cash from her dying mother (Virginia Madsen). Meanwhile, a thug sent to kill him is sleeping with Jackie's ex. Also starring Frank Grillo, this crime-comedy is a witty homage to Tarantino and the Coen brothers.

Director: Swab
Producer: Jeremy M. Rosen
Screenwriter: Scott Caan
Distributor: Lionsgate
Production Co: Roxwell Films, Universal Studios, Three Point Capital
Rating: R (Sexual References|Pervasive Language|Some Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 4, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 7, 2023
Runtime: 1h 27m

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