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The Salvation

Play trailer Poster for The Salvation R Released Feb 27, 2015 1h 29m Drama Western Play Trailer Watchlist
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72% Tomatometer 81 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
After shooting the man who murdered his wife, a Danish settler (Mads Mikkelsen) incurs the wrath of the man's brother (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a ruthless land baron who rules their frontier town.

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The Salvation

The Salvation

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Critics Consensus

It's all but impossible to add anything new or fresh to the traditional Western, but -- thanks in no small part to Mads Mikkelson's performance -- The Salvation comes close.

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Critics Reviews

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Brad Wheeler Globe and Mail In an untamed world where hypocrisy is loud and where no one can be trusted, salvation is one's own business and actions speak louder than words. Rated: 3/4 Apr 24, 2015 Full Review Peter Howell Toronto Star Wild West vengeance gets a terrific homage and a bloody reckoning in this oater excursion ... Rated: 3/4 Apr 23, 2015 Full Review Jonathan Romney Observer (UK) It never transcends reverent pastiche, down to the hackneyed twang of Morricone-style guitars. Rated: 3/5 Apr 19, 2015 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies Yet the film has a unique feel and an intense visual flair that goes along with its violent self-awareness. Rated: 4/5 Aug 25, 2022 Full Review Michael J. Casey Michael J. Cinema There is a story buried under all this dirt and grime, and it is a fairly interesting one, but writer/director Kristian Levring doesn't seem too interested in it. Rated: 2.5/5 Oct 13, 2021 Full Review Tom Bond One Room With A View It's worth watching on mute and on repeat for the cinematography alone. Rated: 3/5 May 31, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Great from all aspects. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/04/24 Full Review All Things F I gave this two stars all to Mads MIkkelsen. The writing was so stereotypical of "westerns" that it just came off campy. Mads wife gets r*ped and killed. The brother of the man that r*ped and killed her shows up asking the same dumb question. "Who killed my brother?" As if he doesn't know what a piece of garbage his brother is. It's obvious from the get go who we are supposed to root for. But, couldn't they come up with characters that were slightly more nuanced than a box of cereal? Meanwhile, we're all waiting for the ultimate - eventual - showdown where hopefully the bad guy dies without killing the hero. I had to skip to the part where the vengeance is near. I can't be tortured by lazy writing, and the misuse of a great actor like Mads Mikkelsen. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/18/24 Full Review Jerod S The opening scene where Madds picks up his wife and kid at the train station and then rides in the carriage with two thugs...is intense. The film couldn't keep up the intensity, but it's a solid western with good prevailing over evil running amuck. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/03/24 Full Review John H It was a typical Western and a bit of a copy of once upon at time in the west. No bad but nothing amazing. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/28/24 Full Review R 9 I anticipated more from it, though 'The Salvation' is a worthwhile 90 minutes. It reminded me of 1973's 'High Plains Drifter', not necessarily bar for bar but more the general vibe of it all... at least in terms of what I remember from that Clint Eastwood flick. This 2014 release is good if generally formulaic, it probably starts stronger than it finishes but all in all it is watchable. I caught a glimpse of the cast list before watching and it got me excited. Mads Mikkelsen, naturally, but also seeing Eva Green, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Eric Cantona and Jonathan Pryce attached raised my hopes. If I'm honest, I've seen better from all of them (aside from Cantona, who has barely two lines, as this is his first acting gig that I've seen, I'm more accustomed to his ability with the football as a Manchester United supporter - legend!). What they give is more than satisfactory, but I didn't feel like any of them were firing on all cylinders. There are a few other issues like the (relatively minimal) special effects and the day/night lighting early on, but overall I'd class this as a positive viewing experience. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/17/23 Full Review Definitely B Loved this movie 🍿🎥 Miss the western genre 😭 Got bored with all the superhero movies Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/11/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Salvation

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis After shooting the man who murdered his wife, a Danish settler (Mads Mikkelsen) incurs the wrath of the man's brother (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a ruthless land baron who rules their frontier town.
Director
Kristian Levring
Producer
Michael Auret, Tracy Brimm, Marlow De Mardt, Sisse Graum Jørgensen, Kate Myers, Charlotte Pedersen
Screenwriter
Anders Thomas Jensen, Kristian Levring
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
Zentropa Entertainment, Spier Films, Forward Films
Rating
R (Violence Throughout)
Genre
Drama, Western
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 27, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Runtime
1h 29m
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