Dead Man Down
FilmDistrict | Release Date: March 8, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
39
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
13
Negative:
8
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
The PlaylistDrew TaylorMar 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
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenMar 7, 2013
Lumpy title, lively movie. Dead Man Down proves to be a frisky gangster flick cum elaborate thriller cum off-beat romance. Yep, there’s a whole lot going on here, but this is one of those plot-heavy scripts that carries its weight with confidence – the intricate twists don’t cheat. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames BerardinelliMar 10, 2013
The tone and pacing of Dead Man Down have a distinctly European flavor, which may explain why American viewers, used to having background and exposition pared down and cleanly delivered, may feel adrift at the outset. Read full review
60
EmpireKim NewmanApr 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
60
Los Angeles TimesBetsy SharkeyMar 7, 2013
With so many twists, the movie feels like it's trying too hard. Some moments are cleverly constructed; and others seem as if the filmmakers have left themselves no plausible escape. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierMar 7, 2013
Before it devolves into typical American-style action, there’s an intriguing, European-style complexity to Dead Man Down. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenMar 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
55
NPRMark JenkinsMar 8, 2013
J.H. Wyman's script is grim and fairly audacious, without anything so goofy as the silliest stuff in "Dragon Tattoo." The story involves some Grand Guignol violence, but its wildest notion is that a suicide-mission plot might somehow yield a happy ending. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)Bilge EbiriMar 8, 2013
More a dark fairy tale about vengeance than the action-packed crime thriller it purports to be, the film is at times exhilarating, bold, and beautiful — when it’s not busy being ludicrous, fragmented, and just plain stupid. Read full review
50
USA TodayClaudia PuigMar 7, 2013
As a gritty thriller, Dead Man Down doesn't stand out among its bullet-riddled brethren. Read full review
50
The New York TimesManohla DargisMar 7, 2013
Dead Man Down, unfortunately, turns out to be too innocuous to qualify as either actually good or delectably bad. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeTy BurrMar 7, 2013
Before this urban revenge melodrama falls apart in a clatter of plot absurdities and pretensions, it has its loopy charms. Read full review
42
Film.comStephanie ZacharekMar 7, 2013
Dead Man Down is actually mildly entertaining, without being particularly fun. Read full review
40
Time Out LondonTrevor JohnstonMay 3, 2013
A way-too-leisurely thriller whose destination is fairly obvious from early on, but to which the talented cast apply themselves with effortful seriousness. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleKimberley JonesMar 13, 2013
It’s clear this director sees carnage as nothing more than an opportunity for music-video production values. Read full review
40
Time OutKeith PhippsMar 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
38
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreMar 8, 2013
Rapace is all over the place with her performance — needy, then self-assured, enraged, then in love. The always feral Farrell seems as dismayed by her as the rest of us. Read full review
38
Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaMar 8, 2013
The film has been directed in a murky, rhythmless fashion by Niels Arden Oplev. Read full review
33
The A.V. ClubNathan RabinMar 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
30
Village VoiceNick SchagerMar 7, 2013
It's all so much turgid brooding, dialogue underlined with import, and leaden symbolism involving Rapace's white and red dresses, none of which is salvaged by a typically understated Farrell performance. Read full review
25
Slant MagazineMar 7, 2013
The action merely meanders when it should be hurtling forward, running in circles when one expects it to head toward a conclusion or some sense of resolution. Read full review
20
The GuardianPeter BradshawMay 3, 2013
Director Niels Arden Orpev was in charge of the original "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," starring Rapace, but fails to create a revenge thriller with anything like the same focus. Read full review
20
VarietyPeter DebrugeMar 7, 2013
As Scandi directors go, Niels Arden Oplev couldn’t be hotter. After putting his stamp on “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” the Dane has what appears to be his pick of projects. So why follow it up with such revenge-fantasy dreck as Dead Man Down, a derivative collection of brazen plot holes and latenight-cable cliches into which he drags “Dragon” star Noomi Rapace? Read full review
12
New York PostKyle SmithMar 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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