Dead Man Down

Name: Dead Man Down
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: March 8, 2013
Duration: 118 min
Rating: 39
Cast: Armand Assante, Colin Farrell, Dominic Cooper, Isabelle Huppert, Noomi Rapace

2013

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 296 Ratings

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8.5

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8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 296 Ratings

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Dead Man Down

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Movie Details & Credits

FilmDistrict | Release Date: March 8, 2013 | R

Starring: Armand Assante, Colin Farrell, Dominic Cooper, Isabelle Huppert, Noomi Rapace, Terrence Howard

Summary: In New York City, a crime lord's right-hand man is seduced by one of his boss's victims, a woman seeking retribution.

Director: Niels Arden Oplev

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 118 min

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Critic Reviews

The Playlist Drew Taylor

Mar 7, 2013

Oplev composes shots with grace and an understanding of where everything is geographically and how scenes relate to each other in the multi-threaded plot. Like everything else in Dead Man Down, his direction is beautiful and brutal at the same time. Whoever thought that this movie would be as entertaining as it is existential is either lying or psychic. Read full review

Michael Rechtshaffen

Mar 7, 2013

More of a character-etched mood piece than a tautly calibrated caper, Dead Man Down benefits from potent visuals and a compelling international cast that also includes lead Colin Farrell, Terrence Howard and Isabelle Huppert. Read full review

Empire Kim Newman

Apr 29, 2013

A pleasingly intricate double (or is it triple?) revenge plot anchored by excellent acting, with a terrific burst of action at the climax. Read full review

Film.com Stephanie Zacharek

Mar 7, 2013

Dead Man Down is actually mildly entertaining, without being particularly fun. Read full review

Keith Phipps

Mar 10, 2013

A long, dull swim through narrative syrup interrupted occasionally by poorly choreographed acts of violence. It’s essential only for those wanting to hear Farrell try on a Hungarian accent. Read full review

Nathan Rabin

Mar 10, 2013

Dead Man Down exerts an unconscionable level of effort for minimal reward: It aspires to exquisite world-weariness, but just ends up feeling exhausted by its frenzied yet fruitless exertions. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Mar 7, 2013

While a mob thriller can be as nasty as it likes, what it can’t be is silly. Read full review

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User Reviews

Lobster

Mar 8, 2013

A strong character piece filled with developed and visually distinct characters in this police-less gangland. The romance is genuine and the acting is to a tea. Everyone succeeds in their prospective roles interestingly and with panache.

32 of 34 users found this helpful322

Parasol92

Aug 11, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie left a mark in my "mémoire"

I really enjoyed this movie.

If True Romance is one of your top movies, you will experience nice flashbacks.

My two favorite things are the Soundtrack (specifically Zaz - Eblouie Par La Nuit) and the wonderfully Script played by both Noomi Rapace and Collin Farrell. The connection between their dark characters takes you to an almost impossible final climax.

The movie successfully proves that, in fact, "Even the most damaged heart can be mended".

Congrats to the cast & crew!… Expand

5 of 5 users found this helpful50

Cistern

Oct 27, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Some Oscar Performances Help this Thriller.

Victor (Colin Farrell) is a trusted member for Crime Boss, Alphonse (Terrance Howard), and has plans to kill him because Alphonse ordered the Albanians to kill him and his family. He survived the hit and is working under an assumed name. Victor meets Beatrice (Noomi Rapace) who has video evidence of him killing someone in his apartment. She won't go to the police if Victor kills the man who caused the accident she was in and disfigured her face and she feels she cannot function in ordinary living. What to do? What to do?

There are other subplots within but the above is all you really need to know. Seems the Colin Farrell movies get more complicated as we grow older. This one takes a while to introduce all the subplots but this is a good thing because the needed tension builds slowly and Alphonse needs the time to figure out the puzzle of who is killing off his men. This is extremely well paced.

We have more than a run-of-the –mill thriller because the acting performances of both Colin Farrell and Noomi Napace are Oscar worthy. They are perfect in their respective roles. Their ever-slow love inroads are quite captivating, innocent and actually quite real, and they don't quite trust each other. Yet. Kudos.

A mistake (here we go) was the casting of Terrance Howard as the bad guy, Alphonse. Terrance Howard – with that golden voice -- cannot play a bad guy to anyone's satisfaction (yours, I suppose). He is a good guy and nothing will turn him into something bad. Just won't happen. Hell, I liked him in here. He wasn't mean, tough or cruel as a crime boss would likely be. Leave Mr. Howard alone.

I was thoroughly impressed with Beatrice's mother, Valentine, played by Isabelle Huppert. With an engaging smile, she was given great lines as the perfect supportive /nurturing mother. She was a breath of fresh air, and it doesn't hurt that she is also very pretty. She is also Oscar worthy. (ah, I think I know you now)

One of the best exchanges in here is with Darcy (Dominic Cooper) - a fellow gang member - when he asks Victor: the reason you didn't kill me is because I have a wife and kids? Victor replies: no, because they have you.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Receptacle

Jun 23, 2021

+++++++++++++++++++++++÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷
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9 of 9 users found this helpful90

NavQ

Mar 24, 2013

Colin Farrell certainly knows how to pick good projects as he's done so since 2009. I've enjoyed the last seven of his movies including this rather interesting gangster flick with the talented Noomi Rapace co- starring. There are two reasons for me seeing this Niels Arden Oplev film becauseColin Farrell certainly knows how to pick good projects as he's done so since 2009. I've enjoyed the last seven of his movies including this rather interesting gangster flick with the talented Noomi Rapace co- starring. There are two reasons for me seeing this Niels Arden Oplev film because he directed Noomi in the well known 'Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' then there is the fact that he's in production on a Stephen King film 'Under The Dome' and being a 'King' fan I was keen to see how it might be handled. The Dane is definitely one of the better directors out there and done a great job on 'Dead Man Down'. It certainly had a strong eastern European look and feel which made for a tight, gritty action laden thriller that had me enjoying every minute.

The bottom line is, well acted and directed, the writing was great with enough depth to keep it interesting and exciting with the overall production rounding it off nicely. A solid action/thriller. Highly Recommended Score: 7.4/10… Expand

0 of 9 users found this helpful09

WayneThomas412

Mar 8, 2013

"Any Movie that comes out of WWE Studios cant be good." That's usually my response when I see the WWE logo during a film trailer. This film however is nothing like any film that has come out of that studio. Dead Man Down is smart, WAY smarter than I thought it was going to be. I decided to"Any Movie that comes out of WWE Studios cant be good." That's usually my response when I see the WWE logo during a film trailer. This film however is nothing like any film that has come out of that studio. Dead Man Down is smart, WAY smarter than I thought it was going to be. I decided to take chance and catch the midnight premier of this film because of the Cast, I just had this feeling that Noomi Rapace wouldn't take an awful roll. I was right. The pace is fantastic, It's not a full throttle action film. The action is placed perfectly between good character development and pleasing dialog. Noomi Rapace is BRILLIANT. After seeing her in Prometheus and Dead Man Down, I can confidently say she's one of my favorite actresses. She captures emotion like no other. Something about her performances just captivate you. My one complaint would be that I wanted better, cleaner kill shots. The violence is kind of Teen Rated video game like, Not that it doesn't work, Like i said the action is just right, but the execution is a little off. Being an action film fan maybe I'm spoiled by such violence in the Expendables and Django. Bottom line, This movie is a hell of a lot smarter than the critics are saying it is. If you want a film that keeps you entertained in all the right ways, give it a shot! It may have you leaving thinking the same thing that was in my head: That was a WWE Film?!"… Expand

1 of 11 users found this helpful110

AmadouIraklidis

Nov 10, 2022

Awful movie. What is even more upsetting, and egregious, is the transparent review boting behind the high user score. Not only are 10 reviews outright spam, many others are posted by accounts that either only reviewed this movie, only reviewed this movie and a few others on the same day andAwful movie. What is even more upsetting, and egregious, is the transparent review boting behind the high user score. Not only are 10 reviews outright spam, many others are posted by accounts that either only reviewed this movie, only reviewed this movie and a few others on the same day and none before nor since, or only reviewed this movie and spam reviewed other movies.

Inflating scores like this is embarrassing and plain wrong. If a movie isn't good, it isn't good.

Back to the movie itself, there wasn't much substance to it. The characters were bland, it was overly fast paced, gratuitously violent, like a c rated mr and mrs smith with more gore and less relationship appeal. The motivations behind the characters were not compelling. Not good cinema.… Expand

0 of 2 users found this helpful02

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