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Shot Caller

Play trailer 1:00 Poster for Shot Caller R Released Aug 18, 2017 2h 0m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
69% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Recently released from prison, a gang member finds himself forced by his leaders to orchestrate a major crime with a rival gang.
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Shot Caller

Shot Caller

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Critics Consensus

Shot Caller's weakness for action movie clichés is capably offset by strong work from Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the central role.

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Critics Reviews

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Hannah Strong Little White Lies It seems to glamourise the violence within the prison system, falling back on lazy stereotypes and suggesting that shivving your way to the top can be excused if you have a noble aim. Rated: 2/5 Dec 17, 2017 Full Review Geoffrey Macnab Independent (UK) On many levels, Shot Caller makes no sense whatsoever. Rated: 2/5 Dec 15, 2017 Full Review Kevin Maher Times (UK) The film is aiming for tough edges, but it's essentially very vanilla. Rated: 2/5 Dec 15, 2017 Full Review Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views He goes from an image of leisure to discipline. It feels like the male equivalent of a spa day—go to prison and get the body that you always wanted. Jun 9, 2024 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews The better-than-average vibe is heightened and perpetuated by Coster-Waldaus terrific turn as the movies complicated central character... Rated: 3/4 Apr 28, 2022 Full Review Dan Buffa KSDK News (St. Louis) It's a sinister watch and doesn't play out like you initially think, but the surprises and performance from Coster-Waldau helps the film stick its landing. Nov 10, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Zach V Hell yeah this movie will always be bad ass Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/25 Full Review Zy S The movie was interesting and enjoyable to watch, but there were too many things wrong with it that was counterproductive to the message it was trying to portray. The main message from this movie was a deterrent to young men into going into prison and getting caught in the revolving door that many get trapped in for decades (sometimes even for life). The issue is mainly how everything developed. Nobody magically goes from normal citizen to hardened thug, that's just not how it plays out. A lot of elements were skipped to have such a transition, such as repeat offenses, drug problems, alcohol problems, lack of education, etc. The system just doesn't work that way. Gangs are selective in who they pick, and a well educated man in prison will not mesh with them. First time small offenders are also not placed in prison hot zones and general population. There's a lot of safety nets set in place to try to circumvent prisoners without drug, alcohol, and minor non violent crimes to keep them out of the revolving door. Not only is it disrespectful to the corrections system America has built, but it harms the message as well because it doesn't play out the way the movie portrays. This movie might have been more realistic back in the 70s, but so much progress has been made since then that you just don't see this anymore. American prison systems are very structured and categorized, and if you end up in a violent gang, you were either born into it or you chose to go into it and stay into it. Nobody can accidentally fall into it like the movie portrays if they previously has no affiliation with it, especially if they are educated and have no drug or alcohol issues. At best, this movie is a deterrent for young adolescents who can't spot the problems with this movie. I'd wager most adults can't, but if you're an adult with no criminal record chances are you don't need this movie's message since you are averse to crime anyways. Still a good movie, with a good message, and healthy to society and the youth so they get my 3.5/5 rating but the director needs to either add a lot more elements to make the shown transition more realistic, or just change what the main character transitions into. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/01/25 Full Review J R Good story. Very poignant and depressing but well made and captivating Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/20/24 Full Review Ryan K This movie does an excellent job in showing what a slippery slope life can sometimes be - brilliant casting and a truly sad tale about a family man in the wrong place at the wrong time who then succumbs to the inevitable pressures that are bestowed upon men within the prison system. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/14/24 Full Review skertz C I just felt like the story was absolutely everywhere without a real conclusion. He gets out of jail, doesn't care about his wife or kid and instead just kills some people and gets life. The movie ends with him somehow jailing a guard into a cell to kill another inmate, which in reality he'd be shot instantly the second he came out. Horrible ending with the kid forgiving his father for his actions which make no sense because why? Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 11/04/24 Full Review Jeremy A Not bad. Not crazy great. Doesn't show too much of real prison life. More about this little story. 3.5* Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/01/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Shot Caller

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Recently released from prison, a gang member finds himself forced by his leaders to orchestrate a major crime with a rival gang.
Director
Ric Roman Waugh
Producer
Ric Roman Waugh, Jonathan King, Michel Litvak, Gary Michael Walters
Screenwriter
Ric Roman Waugh
Distributor
Saban Films
Production Co
Bold Films, DirecTV, Relativity Media, Participant Media
Rating
R (Pervasive Language|Brief Nudity|Some Drug Use|Strong Bloody Violence)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 18, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 18, 2017
Runtime
2h 0m
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