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Palmetto

Play trailer Poster for Palmetto R 1998 1h 54m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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40% Tomatometer 35 Reviews 30% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Harry Barber (Woody Harrelson) is a good guy who tries to go bad but can't. Two years ago Harry was set up and went to prison for being honest. Recently released, bitter and disillusioned, the only thing keeping him in the town of Palmetto is his girlfriend, Nina (Gina Gershon). That is until he meets Rhea Malroux (Elisabeth Shue), who offers him a deal he finds hard to refuse.
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Palmetto

Critics Reviews

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Mike Clark USA Today 01/09/2018
2.5/4
It's indicative of how crazy matters get when ex-journalist Harrelson gets hired to run the police press office as his caper disintegrates. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times 01/01/2000
2/4
Palmetto knows the words, but not the music. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 10/24/2023
3/4
The surprises may be minimal, but there’s still plenty to like about this zesty neo-noir. Go to Full Review
Dan DiNicola The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY) 01/19/2023
C
The film's plot doesn't always hang together and is hampered by unlikely surprises. Go to Full Review
Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault 09/02/2022
D
The tone is inconsistent and baffling; if we’re meant to take the plot seriously, we don’t, and if it’s meant to be funny, it isn’t. Go to Full Review
Michael Dequina TheMovieReport.com 03/31/2009
2/4
Shue, appearing uncomfortable and distracted and trying a bit too hard, comes off as more camp than vamp. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Alain E @AlainE Jun 12 Definitely watchable as a potboiler. There are some complexities in the plot not easily explained. Chloe Chevigny exits prematurely as the rich guy’s daughter that the main conspirators want out of the picture. Who is then the female corpse that appears in the bungalow towards the end? And since Elizabeth Shue’s character is not the rich guy’s wife how they expect to inherit all his money after he dies. And of course is the medical inconsistencies that the rich husband needs oxygen at home when resting but can be out and about without assistance or looking short of breath. The movie is based on a James Hadley Chase book who turned out large numbers of similar stories. See more 07/31/2020 This is very average film noir set against the Hot & Humid Florida backdrop. Woody Harrelson doesn't give one of his best performances and the voice over work by him is cringe worthy. It still has some nice twists and keeps the viewer guessing a little bit all the way up to the end. See more ronald h 12/21/2019 Did you ever notice that in Florida noir films, regardless of the era, there is apparently no air conditioning? The men are all sweaty in the heat and humidity, while the women are always mysteriously cool and dry. Also, in spite of the blazing sunshine, nobody has a tan. Palmetto contains all these cliches, and many more. The women strut around in sexy dresses, swinging their hips like good femme fatales, and Woody Harrelson's protagonist dresses like a guy out of a Raymond Chandler novel: suit pants, long sleeved shirts, and suspenders in the 90 degree heat. No shorts and T shirt for him. That wouldn't be "noir." Both Elizabeth Shue and Chloe Sevigny demonstrate their inability to act. Harrelson is really the only skilled actor in this film. He's in great form. Of course, in film noir, there are no "good" guys. But he's so hapless, we root for him in spite of his stupidity. The plot is clever enough to keep us watching. It gets absurdly twisty in the last third, but I shamelessly hung in there for the final payoff--and it's a good one, rather self-satirizing. South Florida (Anna Maria Island, Fort Myers, and Palmetto) looks appropriately steamy, and several palmetto bugs make cameo appearances (seriously). I haven't read the book the film is based on, Just Another Sucker by James Hadley Chase, but after seeing Palmetto, I'd like to. See more 08/02/2017 Didn't rewatch so fudging the rating, had the VHS See more 06/04/2017 I had fond memories of this sweaty Southern Noir from the old video store days, and I was very pleased that the revisit paid off. Woody Harrelson plays an ex-con who gets fished into a faked kidnapping that quickly turns real, leaving him in a world of trouble, and it's a fun ride. Well worth a look if you haven't seen it. See more 06/22/2015 Great Film Noir...... See more Read all reviews
Palmetto

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Movie Info

Synopsis Harry Barber (Woody Harrelson) is a good guy who tries to go bad but can't. Two years ago Harry was set up and went to prison for being honest. Recently released, bitter and disillusioned, the only thing keeping him in the town of Palmetto is his girlfriend, Nina (Gina Gershon). That is until he meets Rhea Malroux (Elisabeth Shue), who offers him a deal he finds hard to refuse.
Director
Volker Schlöndorff
Producer
Matthias Wendlandt
Screenwriter
James Hadley Chase, E. Max Frye
Production Co
Columbia Pictures, Castle Rock Entertainment
Rating
R (Some Violence|Sexuality|Language)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 20, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.8M
Runtime
1h 54m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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