Brimstone

Name: Brimstone
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Western
Released: March 10, 2017
Duration: 148 min
Rating: 45

2017

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 65 Ratings

See All

5.9

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

5.9	Your Score
5.9	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 65 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Brimstone

Now Playing: Brimstone

Movie Details & Credits

Momentum Pictures | Release Date: March 10, 2017 | R

Summary: Wrongly accused of a crime she didn’t commit, a frontier woman (Dakota Fanning) turned fugitive is hunted by a vengeful preacher (Guy Pearce) in the menacing inferno of the old American West.

Director: Martin Koolhoven

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Western

Rating: R

Runtime: 148 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Empire Jonathan Pile

Sep 25, 2017

Brutal in its depictions of violence, Brimstone is tough to watch at times, but never less than gripping, even as the clock creeps up to the 150-minute mark. Read full review

John Bleasdale

Mar 7, 2017

Dark, lurid, sadistic and powerful, it is at the least a fascinating and bold debut, and promises better to come. Read full review

Boyd van Hoeij

Mar 7, 2017

It feels like a sermon delivered by an extremely cine-literate preacher. Read full review

The Film Stage Tommaso Tocci

Mar 7, 2017

Director Martin Koolhoven shows the heaviest of hands in approaching the story. Read full review

Lee Marshall

Mar 7, 2017

What’s lacking here, mostly, is a clarity of vision and control of tone that would give this prestige Euro-Western’s mannerisms a focus. Read full review

Richard Roeper

Mar 9, 2017

For all the visceral depictions of hatred and violence and human destruction, it feels as if the director is chasing his own tail and forgetting about making it all mean something. Read full review

Carson Lund

Mar 7, 2017

Its bid for social correctness does nothing to make the juvenile and numbing fixation on brutality any more palatable. Read full review

SEE ALL 17 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

Sanguinet

May 3, 2017

If you're looking for fun, you've come to the wrong place. If you've come looking for Snow, you've wasted your time. If you're looking for suspense, mystery and trouble, then come right in. Because this slowly slithering story will trouble you, shock you and will seep into your mind for manyIf you're looking for fun, you've come to the wrong place. If you've come looking for Snow, you've wasted your time. If you're looking for suspense, mystery and trouble, then come right in. Because this slowly slithering story will trouble you, shock you and will seep into your mind for many nights after.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

CoKronakan

Oct 3, 2018

I liked the fact that the movie was separated in to multiple acts, and that they were not in chronological order. It gave the movie a realistic vibe, and let on exactly just as much as the audience needed to know, not more. But in contrast with this, lies the big issue. The worst pacingI liked the fact that the movie was separated in to multiple acts, and that they were not in chronological order. It gave the movie a realistic vibe, and let on exactly just as much as the audience needed to know, not more. But in contrast with this, lies the big issue. The worst pacing issue Iv'e seen in a long time. Because irrelevant scenes take to much, and the real action happened to fast. Almost 80% of the movie was dragging, and it was too long as a whole. At least it wasn't try harding, it wasn't forcing, because the actors could deliver the feelings they where supposed to. So great job by the actors, and the director taking the greatest angles for the shots he needed to deliver the feeling to the big screen. The movie had this dark western vibe, the unfairness and the muddy, ugly part of it. The movie itself is not entertaining or fun to watch, it's hard most of the time. But I think this is the way it was supposed to be, so I can't discredit the movie here. Also the VFX and the SFX where great, the righting was just right on point and not to excessive. But because the plot was that simplified (focused only on one protagonist) it also lacked a life lesson. Which really hurts the movie as a whole. So overall it's a great movie, but barely. Mystery, drama and other stuff is all there so I couldn't give it a 6. The movie is good, but it's not for my taste or for general taste I guess. But because I'm objective and the movie was decent enough I had to give it a 7.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

deck

Jun 1, 2018

No popcorn movie for the wide audience.
Stylistically, Brimstone is a bit like the movie "Mother!". Brimstone has less subtle mystical and psychological features. Also, he is less consistent in the visual language. Although the film plays in America at the beginning of the 19th century, itNo popcorn movie for the wide audience.
Stylistically, Brimstone is a bit like the movie "Mother!". Brimstone has less subtle mystical and psychological features. Also, he is less consistent in the visual language. Although the film plays in America at the beginning of the 19th century, it does not have the characteristics of a classic western. One can rather expect a drama / thriller with features of mysticism.
The story is touching and exciting, in places and the end of the movie unfortunately trivial. Some pictures are uselessly violent and shocking. A little less would not have damaged the overall picture.
The film invites discussion and can lead to controversy. Especially here is the value.
Except for a few dropouts, the actors wear the solid film.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

JLuis_001

Dec 12, 2017

I had high expectations for this western but in the end it turned out to be a disappointing and lackluster experience with performances that barely sustain the whole plot. Besides its lenght is incredibly excessive.

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

lastfox

May 3, 2020

If I can say anything positive is that the movie looks good. But in the end, it is very repetitive on it's narrative. It's like a low-rent Von Trier film dressed up in a western genre. spoilers ahead:
I didn't see the point of telling the story in that particular order other than being aIf I can say anything positive is that the movie looks good. But in the end, it is very repetitive on it's narrative. It's like a low-rent Von Trier film dressed up in a western genre. spoilers ahead:
I didn't see the point of telling the story in that particular order other than being a gimmick. The reason it's repetitive is because you can take a drink anytime a nice character appears and dies a gruesome exaggerated death. I was hoping the movie would redeem itself and throw in a supernatural spin or reveal the Reverend to be not human (since he was introduced that way and all the other events seemed to be adapted straight out of a comic book). But alas the movie tries to make this into a metaphor of toxic masculinity or something. Well it isn’t really a metaphor when you beat the audience over their heads for two hours with a jackhammer. A better version of this movie already exists, it's called 'The Night of the Hunter'(1955)… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Angeldis

Dec 4, 2017

A puberal attempt to fight against the very phantasy world invented by a puber. Zelots like portraited in the film indeed exist in Holland, but nowadays they are of another religion.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

tindy1986

May 19, 2017

Uninteresting, boring movie with an unattractive storyline. Writing is not convincing, characters are not logical and plot is awkward. Way too long. Shameless cameo. Great cast but terrible writing

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

SEE ALL 18 REVIEWS