A History of Violence
New Line Cinema | Release Date: September 23, 2005
7.4
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 898 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
648
Mixed:
98
Negative:
152
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
2
JimK.Nov 26, 2005
Nonsense. Utter cliche rubbish. I walked out on this film, and I haven't done that in years.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
PaulT.Nov 3, 2005
Overrated. Poorly directed. Let me rephrase, horribly, heavy handedly directed.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
GeorgeG.Oct 13, 2005
This was an awful film. The acting was bad, the script was bad, the editing was bad. It was a waste of time. Watching the previews I thought it looked like a bad movie, but after seeing all the acclaim I thought I would give it a try. Should This was an awful film. The acting was bad, the script was bad, the editing was bad. It was a waste of time. Watching the previews I thought it looked like a bad movie, but after seeing all the acclaim I thought I would give it a try. Should have trusted my instincts.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
MarcOct 15, 2005
Chuck D said it best - Don't believe the hype. Terrible. The thing that made it so frustrating to watch is that I felt like the movie had so much potential, and it just fell flat on its face. Laughable sex scenes with a gratuitous shot Chuck D said it best - Don't believe the hype. Terrible. The thing that made it so frustrating to watch is that I felt like the movie had so much potential, and it just fell flat on its face. Laughable sex scenes with a gratuitous shot of Mortensen's ass (thanks a lot for that), poor acting, unrealistic events, and a high-school bully sub-plot that was unnecessary and more cliche than Saved by the Bell. This is the type of movie that hipsters who blindly follow critics' leads will love. Everyone else will be sorely disappointed. Ohh, and by the way, don't tell me I just "don't get it." I enjoy a good thinking man's movie, and this is not it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
KatherineS.Nov 5, 2005
Terribly disappointing!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
KRectorOct 23, 2005
This is a terrible movie - the plot was unimaginably slow and there was useless sex. I can take subdued movies, but there was just god-awful.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
PJStempkyOct 24, 2005
I agree with Kurt S. The characters were funny because they were so one-dimensional. At first, I thought that the dialogue was intentionally bad, but then I realized it was by accident. The director seems really out of touch with emotion... I agree with Kurt S. The characters were funny because they were so one-dimensional. At first, I thought that the dialogue was intentionally bad, but then I realized it was by accident. The director seems really out of touch with emotion... like Kubric in Eyes Wide Shut. The bully was way over the top cliched.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
LindseyOct 25, 2005
Absolutely juvenile in the believability aspect but violent to an extreme. Just not believable in my humble opionion. And the ending was almost as bad as War Of The Worlds. Forgotten the minute you exit the theater.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
EonOct 15, 2006
Some user wrote "Is Pulp Fiction, or Terminator great for it
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
CarlaW.Mar 17, 2006
I will watch this movie once more to remind myself that I'm not sophisticated or smart because it was the worst movie that I've seen all year. It beat out two of my least liked movies, Junebug and Gods and Generals.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
JeremyW.Mar 29, 2006
Possibly one of the most poorly acted and scripted movies I've seen in the last few years...and I've seen plenty. There is not chemistry whatsoever between actors... The acting is atrocious at times and just plain funny at others. Possibly one of the most poorly acted and scripted movies I've seen in the last few years...and I've seen plenty. There is not chemistry whatsoever between actors... The acting is atrocious at times and just plain funny at others. I found myself laughing at moments of suspense because of the acting. The script was very poorly done with plenty of plot holes and uncomfortable lines that didn't even remotely fit the moment or situation. Avoid this movie. The pro critics definately dropped the ball on this one.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
BoboS.Apr 19, 2006
I like virtually any and all gangster/crime/thriller/suspense films from every country in the world. I'm not very picky. I love all the B movies, too. I don't ask for much. This is simply the single most overrated, uninspired, I like virtually any and all gangster/crime/thriller/suspense films from every country in the world. I'm not very picky. I love all the B movies, too. I don't ask for much. This is simply the single most overrated, uninspired, insipid excuse for a movie I have ever seen. Clearly, powerful directors continue to have considerable sway over critics, which must be why Spielberg, Cronenberg, etc. get reviews totally unrelated to the merit of their work. This movie is an embarrassment to everyone in it. But don't blame the actors - with a story that is told and finished in the first 10 minutes and some of the silliest dialogue and pretentious sex scenes I have ever seen, it's not their fault, except that they took the parts presumably after reading the script (which I imagine was about three pages long).… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
3
JamesD.Aug 29, 2006
The critics were way off on this one. Pretty much a terrible disapointment. It starts off like its going somewhere, making paralells between a few subplots, and as you think they are about to come together and cohere into an insightful The critics were way off on this one. Pretty much a terrible disapointment. It starts off like its going somewhere, making paralells between a few subplots, and as you think they are about to come together and cohere into an insightful social comentary, it takes a catastrophic nose dive and turns into a laughable revenge movie, devoid of any meaning. To add to it, the quality of the acting seems to dwindle at the same point, topping it off with William Hur'ts worst performance. Ed Harris was good, and I managed to sort of enjoy the awkward sex scenes and Chuck-Noresque fights at the end, mainly by laughing at them, but it was pretty much a waste of time.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
chrisrosicaDec 27, 2007
i agree with many others - this movie was horrible and laughable
examples - 1. gym class scene in the locker room - was this relevant to anything
2. the teenage actor -and whole storyline - i laughed several times 3. the sex scene oni agree with many others - this movie was horrible and laughable
examples - 1. gym class scene in the locker room - was this relevant to anything

2. the teenage actor -and whole storyline - i laughed several times

3. the sex scene on the stairs
4. william hurt gangster acting… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
StevenB.Jan 16, 2008
WTF!!! This was honestly the worst movie I have ever seen. I almost walked out. Its like a made for HBO movie from 84. The critics are all bought and paid for.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
PrintninjaNov 16, 2005
Predictable story, unerotic sex scenes, unemotional characters, unengaging plot, unplausible "historical" motivations, "violence" limited mainly to a few rediculous fight scenes (hey, at least they didn't use wires.) Basically a lot of Predictable story, unerotic sex scenes, unemotional characters, unengaging plot, unplausible "historical" motivations, "violence" limited mainly to a few rediculous fight scenes (hey, at least they didn't use wires.) Basically a lot of character types we've seen before, doing things far less effectively then their predecessors. The last 20 minutes, (which by that time has you praying for some sort of payday for all your patience), is so contrived it is barely watchable. The ending is so insipid you may burst our laughing (I did - no doubt to stop myself from screaming.) Summary: Uniquely unoriginal. Stay home. You've seen it all before, done better, in better movies. *The 2 (rather then 1) is for the Cronenburg gore we've all come to know and love.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
AnonymousMCDec 14, 2005
As you can tell I did not enjoy this movie. I was not expecting a "cinematic bloodbath" and thus was neither shocked nor disappointed with the films amount of violence. That being said, I did not find the violence to be in any wayAs you can tell I did not enjoy this movie. I was not expecting a "cinematic bloodbath" and thus was neither shocked nor disappointed with the films amount of violence. That being said, I did not find the violence to be in any way referential to a predominant cultural perception of violence. If it was a stunning and subtle commentary on society, I would like to know what comment it was attempting to convey. That violence is inevitable because people will simply take advantage of you otherwise? Indeed, one could say that Mortenson was goaded into violence by his past, but once he received the initial impetus he lashed out at both his wife and his son making a compelling argument against his ability to confine his violent tendencies to a mere defensive stance. Or perhaps the message was: kill them before they kill you and then gon on with your life as if murder meant nothing. What a compelling and subtle way to cheapen the value of life by; presenting that those who are against you are expendable. One hardly feels any sympathy, however, for a man whose alleged attempts to start a new life is based upon lies and denial. Of course, most of the characters were predicated on stupidity; instead of perhaps catching a ride with one of his many acquaintances in town or perhaps using that thing they call a phone, "Tom" limps his whole way home. Rather than calling the police, the family stands around and waits for the bad guys to come get them at the big show-down between Mortenson and Harris. The mafia is apparently confined to one household. Tom throws his gun in the lake that is RIGHT NEXT TO THE MANSION after killing "the mafia". And of course all of these unfolded in a stale and predictable plotline (hm, I wonder if he's telling the truth? but not really. and yeah, this is the first time we've seen the kid whose picked on at school retaliate and come out on top). And then there is the dialogue. I admit, I would have upped my score if at the part where his brother says "So you like that? Living on a farm, milking cows and shit?" if Tom/Joey had turned and deadpanned "No. We don't milk the shit". But no, the dialogue was not understated, it was lacking in both emotion and content.
I have no problem with people who might have seen something in this movie that I didn't see. But I would ask them to cite because I just don't understand!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
DavidSNov 13, 2006
One of the worst movies I have ever seen. Simply a collosal disappointment. The acclaim heaped upon this movie by critics proves one thing: critics are shallow, simple-minded followers who are utterly devoid of creativity and unable to think One of the worst movies I have ever seen. Simply a collosal disappointment. The acclaim heaped upon this movie by critics proves one thing: critics are shallow, simple-minded followers who are utterly devoid of creativity and unable to think for themselves. It's too bad someone could not have spoken out against this movie earlier, before we all wasted our money and 96 minutes of our lives watching it.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
LSDec 28, 2006
Extremely painful to watch. Boring; unbelievable; terrible dialog. HATED it. I am beyond shocked that the critics were sucked in by this crap.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
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