Shotgun Stories

PG-13

Released Dec 14, 2007

1 hr. 32 min.

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

88%

51 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Backed by siblings Kid (Barlow Jacobs) and Boy (Douglas Ligon), Son Hayes (Michael Shannon) tells the attendees at his father's funeral that he and his brothers hated the dead man, then spits on his grave. This triggers a battle with the siblings' half brothers, which soon leaves Kid dead and Son seriously hurt. As the half brothers stockpile weapons for what they assume will be a deadly encounter, Boy visits them and suggests an end to the fighting.

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Critics Consensus

Thanks to a talented cast and its uncommon depth, Nichols' debut manages to rise above its overly familiar plot.

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georgan g

Brotherly jealousy is taken to the extreme. The bad seeds their parents planted grow to be 7 angry men. Rather a bland ending, but "happy."

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Nathan A

Michael Shannon is always good. But you can definitely see him get better in later films. And I know you have to set the atmosphere. But nothing happening for 35 minutes is a bit much. There's a lot of uninteresting conversations between bored men without many options. There's a chubby friend that seems to exist only as comedy relief. He does goofy things like trying to put a house air conditioner into his van. Not funny. Not pathetic enough to be sad. Then there's a goofy guy named shampoo. Another silly aimless young man. With no prospects. The movie seems to shamble slowly from one generic Country Boy scene to another, setting up the final showdown. It's hard to say all these things because of all the good reviews. It's not bad. But it's also not worth watching.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/25/21

Full Review

Audience Member

Slow as Molasses!!! Monotone the whole... damn... movie...

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/04/18

Full Review

roger g

You have to wonder why and how step-brothers can hate one another to the point of death. This story will tell you how.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

andrey k

It's a near masterpiece of a neo-western movie, a hidden gem of modern American cinema. Filmed in a seemingly casual manner but behind it a great care for details and perfect calm direction show itself. The story is too trivial but great acting, direction and other "small" buts make a huge difference: you watch it impatiently awaiting developing of the plot whereas ordinary family things are a great watch too. The title is ironic obviously but not sarcastic. The atmosphere is full of hatred and you can feel how shotguns are ready to blast just like thunderous silence before the storm.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It does have a very familiar plot, but I am a fan of Jeff Nichols' work, and this is overall a good film for this guy to start off with.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

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Jeff Nichols

Director

Michael Shannon

Son Hayes

Douglas Ligon

Boy Hayes

Barlow Jacobs

Kid Hayes

Natalie Canerday

Nicole

Glenda Pannell

Annie

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Derek Adams

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Nov 18, 2011

Full Review

Ben Kenigsberg

Time Out

Rated: 2/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Leo Goldsmith

indieWire

There is much to "Shotgun Stories" that elevates it above the fray of Green derivatives and unflattering categorizations, bolstered by a roster of naturalistic, fully assimilated performances, led by "Bug"'s now ubiquitous Michael Shannon.

Aug 8, 2009

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

...wonderfully written, brilliantly conceived, and cleverly crafted.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 25, 2022

Full Review

Eve Tushnet

Patheos

There’s not much here beyond the mythologically-rich setup. Once the plot is in motion, it goes through its paces and that’s all.

May 23, 2022

Full Review

David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

Nichols simmers his gripping tragedy in a stew-pot seasoned with the beats of a rural family comedy...

Jun 18, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Backed by siblings Kid (Barlow Jacobs) and Boy (Douglas Ligon), Son Hayes (Michael Shannon) tells the attendees at his father's funeral that he and his brothers hated the dead man, then spits on his grave. This triggers a battle with the siblings' half brothers, which soon leaves Kid dead and Son seriously hurt. As the half brothers stockpile weapons for what they assume will be a deadly encounter, Boy visits them and suggests an end to the fighting.

Director: Jeff Nichols
Executive Producer: John Portnoy
Screenwriter: Jeff Nichols
Distributor: International Film Circuit [us]
Production Co: Muskat Filmed Properties, Upload Films
Rating: PG-13 (Brief Strong Language|Violence|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2007, Limited
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Mar 26, 2008
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $45.7K