Destroyer
Annapurna Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 2018
5.8
USER SCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 80 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
33
Mixed:
34
Negative:
13
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand
Review this movie
VOTE NOW
 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Check box if your review contains spoilers 0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
2
GreatMartinFeb 1, 2019
Director Karyn Kusama has the habit of repeating a scene she likes two to three times more not only unnecessary but making the movie move slowly. Let's have a mother and daughter scene in a luncheonette and then repeat it in a diner when weDirector Karyn Kusama has the habit of repeating a scene she likes two to three times more not only unnecessary but making the movie move slowly. Let's have a mother and daughter scene in a luncheonette and then repeat it in a diner when we already know the mother is not only a bad mother but a drunk. If Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman) says the 'f' word meaningful let's have her say it 5 or 6 times in one scene and angrily in another plus throw it in here and there. To show Bell can take it like a man why not a few different scenes where we see her get beaten real bad and then get up from the floor and run after this guy or that guy?

The best part of the movie is the first thirty minutes while you have to check out if that is really the beautiful Nicole Kidman looking so beaten, tired, old and almost ugly with the makeup and when you know it definitely is you can get up and leave without missing a thing.

"Destroyer" is not only a very violent, depressing and confusing movie but with the coming and going in time plus not being able to tell who is who the only fun thing is keeping track of the length of Bell's hair so you know what time period we are in.

See it at your own risk!… Expand
4 of 5 users found this helpful41
All this user's reviews
5
netflicFeb 4, 2019
I greatly respect Nicole Kidman as an actress and got used to high quality of movies she is starring in. That was the reason for me to go and see "Destroyer", a crime drama.

Kidman plays LAPD detective with dark past, tired and nearlyI greatly respect Nicole Kidman as an actress and got used to high quality of movies she is starring in. That was the reason for me to go and see "Destroyer", a crime drama.

Kidman plays LAPD detective with dark past,
tired and nearly destroyed, emotionally and physically.

There are two timelines with 17 years in between, and the movie jumps back and forth showing young detective Erin allowing a gang she infiltrated into to rob a bank. That robbery, going bad, destroyed all her life that followed.

Kidman is a great actress, and plays well but I do not think that role of a bad cop was a good match for her. Besides, the movie was so long and not impressive otherwise that it was not worth it going to theater to watch this film.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
All this user's reviews
3
BroyaxMar 20, 2019
Un film à la Heat par son ambiance désabusée et une Nicole Kidman très impressionnante en flic non moins désabusée dont la culpabilité et les regrets se lisent sur son visage... car en tant qu'agente infiltrée (oui, oui, une "agente" pourUn film à la Heat par son ambiance désabusée et une Nicole Kidman très impressionnante en flic non moins désabusée dont la culpabilité et les regrets se lisent sur son visage... car en tant qu'agente infiltrée (oui, oui, une "agente" pour l'inclusivité et la parité obligatoires...) dans un gang de braqueurs très dangereux, elle a sensiblement merdé...

C'est ce que l'on devine ou ce que l'on parvient à comprendre -tout de même- au fil d'un récit très laborieux, car les évènements se sont déroulés 17 ans auparavant... Le film abuse donc de nombreux retours en arrière et fait régulièrement la navette entre le passé et le présent de façon si fugace et maladroite qu'on y entrave pas grand-chose. Sauf à la fin... tout de même !

Le comble est que le film s'étire en longueurs interminables sans faire progresser le schmilblick significativement ; il se laisse aller par contre au psychodrame inutile entre notre flic (hum... flickette pour le féminin peut-être ?) et sa fille de 16 ans qui fait n'imp' (normal, c'est une ado...).

Par la grâce du maquillage (ou d'effets spéciaux ?) on alterne ici la Kidman jeune et la Kidman... moins jeune un peu poivrote sur les bords qui campe ce personnage au bout du rouleau mais d'une volonté toujours implacable. Nicole reste en tout cas stupéfiante de brio et demeure sans conteste l'intérêt principal de ce film qui ressemblerait presque à Heat s'il n'était pas aussi mal foutu et bordélique.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
All this user's reviews
6
JLuis_001Feb 2, 2019
In the last 5 years Nicole Kidman has have a career with quite diverse roles in dark films like The Killing of a Sacred Deer and indie films like The Family Fang, Lion and How to Talk to Girls at Parties and also roles like Queen Atlanna inIn the last 5 years Nicole Kidman has have a career with quite diverse roles in dark films like The Killing of a Sacred Deer and indie films like The Family Fang, Lion and How to Talk to Girls at Parties and also roles like Queen Atlanna in the recent Aquaman.
And now in Destroyer she's unrecognizable, delivering one of the best roles of her career but unfortunately the script is not so well built and the narrative devices used by its director Karyn Kusama aren't the greatest and her final work is rewarded and to some extent more salvageable because of the work of her protagonist. And I say this because of having employed an actress who had not committed as Kidman perhaps this film wouldn't have worked in the same way.

Is it worth it? Yes, but in this case it does more because of the acting work of Nicole Kidman than for Kusama's direction.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
All this user's reviews
7
LamontRaymondJan 5, 2019
I've never seen a movie where the final 6 minutes (less the last shot) were the absolute BEST part of the movie. It's got major pacing issues - it's too slow throughout. You want to shake the director and editor and say, "let's get a moveI've never seen a movie where the final 6 minutes (less the last shot) were the absolute BEST part of the movie. It's got major pacing issues - it's too slow throughout. You want to shake the director and editor and say, "let's get a move on!" But when it comes together at the very end, it sort of makes it all worth it.… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
All this user's reviews
7
Brent_MarchantJan 12, 2019
nnAlthough a bit sluggishly paced at times, this crime saga about the search for justice and redemption is a surprisingly good thriller with an excellent lead performance by Nicole Kidman in a decidedly different role. The clever storytellingnnAlthough a bit sluggishly paced at times, this crime saga about the search for justice and redemption is a surprisingly good thriller with an excellent lead performance by Nicole Kidman in a decidedly different role. The clever storytelling format, coupled with a no-holds-barred approach to the action sequences, make for an intriguing (and at times shocking) saga, made all the better by inventive editing, an eclectic but well-orchestrated mix of cinematography styles and a carefully measured sequence of revelation. This one's getting an undeserved bad rap in some critical circles, so go see it for yourself and make up your own mind; you may well come away pleasantly surprised.… Expand
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
All this user's reviews
4
amheretojudgeFeb 18, 2019
Style That Kills.

Destroyer Kusama is overthinking and over chewing the content that apparently she has taken granted for. More or less fumbling on narrating a productive story, the film is one big moot point. This non-linear screenplayStyle That Kills.

Destroyer

Kusama is overthinking and over chewing the content that apparently she has taken granted for. More or less fumbling on narrating a productive story, the film is one big moot point. This non-linear screenplay barely has something to say let alone be something new. With effortful twists and turns, all the hokum that it sweats for, protrudes an unstable unnerving ride where no one is happy at the beginning of it nor thrilled at the end of it. And the one big revelation that the makers crave for, most probably, disappears amidst provocative tear jerking episodes which writers claims here to be a drama.

This thriller genre feature has barely any thrills to he relied upon. The behemoth antics that it relies upon is a bourgeois attempt of carrying out the rudimentary procedure of "investigation". The storytelling focuses on "who" or "why" of it, while it should have kept its eyes upon "how" of it. Since Kidman is on the driver's seat for the most part of it, the chills of the close calls gets lost into pretentious loud background score.

Take her first invasion for example, Whitford playing DiFranco, catcher her by the nerves and yet it is so bizarrely executed that Kidman's performance brings out nothing but pity from us. Another such antic that it roots for, is the "bank robbery gone wrong" scene. Now, not only is it poorly choreographed but the execution isn't clean enough to map out the entire sequence for us to nod agreeably. Followed by a chase scene, the cat fight between Kidman and Maslany is the only action that you are about to get.

What it majorly lacks on these big moments is confidence to pull it off with conviction, while ironically the rest of the part is over confident about its material it passes on. Nicole Kidman cloaking as Erin Bell with a make-up for transformation that may not make her scarier but surely makes her a grimmy old boxer in a twelfth round that can both take and throw a punch. What's fascinating is the tug of war between the script and Kidman. Everytime the film flies high through cheesy conversations and melodramatic moments, Kidman pins it down to the ground with her gritty practical nuances that makes it more appealing.

The testament of her brilliant performance lies on her body language, the way she drives a car, the way she reloads a gun and the way she pulls her man to kiss, she literally carries off the film all on her own. Sebastian Stan as her love angle doesn't come off impressive or expressive as it was aspired, the energy of their chemistry is all controlled by Kidman. Aforementioned, the non-linear narration does charm you at the end of the line, but with eerie camera work and inessential slow motion shots it shucks away the earned integrity. Plus, after the pockets are emptied, you are left with an unsatisfactory feeling which will always haunt you and on that very note, it probably is a Destroyer.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
5
RaduAJan 25, 2019
I got out of the cinema after 40 minutes. Maybe it's not for my tastes ... but my friends did not like it ... at all.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
6
qbaseMar 25, 2019
H χρονικά σπαστή αφήγηση και η «στεγνή» ερμηνεία της Κίντμαν κερδίζουν τις αρχικές εντυπώσεις, αλλά όσο η ιστορία αρχίζει να συνδέει με σαφήνεια παρόν και παρελθόν οι σεναριακές κοινοτοπίες αδυνατίζουν υπερβολικά τη δραματική ένταση. ΟιH χρονικά σπαστή αφήγηση και η «στεγνή» ερμηνεία της Κίντμαν κερδίζουν τις αρχικές εντυπώσεις, αλλά όσο η ιστορία αρχίζει να συνδέει με σαφήνεια παρόν και παρελθόν οι σεναριακές κοινοτοπίες αδυνατίζουν υπερβολικά τη δραματική ένταση. Οι χαρακτήρες γίνονται σχήματα, τα μηνύματα απλοποιούνται και όποιος έχει δει τρία φιλμ νουάρ έχει δει και το φινάλε του εκδικητικού ξεσπάσματος της Έριν...… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
0
DlrlmJul 19, 2019
This movie sucked. Gabe me the feeling she was just chasing an oscar by not wearing any makeup. Like that Charlize Theron movie about that serial killer. Except that one was good.
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
All this user's reviews
5
FazhaMay 31, 2019
This movie seems more like a showcase for Kidman's transformative acting abilities (although it was way too jarring with the obvious makeup and wig) than a movie concerned with story and plot.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
Compi24Apr 9, 2020
Impossible to critique without mentioning everything it did right, "Destroyer" -- at the very least -- marks another visually stunning notch in the belt for director Karyn Kusama, and further displays the impressive dramatic talents withinImpossible to critique without mentioning everything it did right, "Destroyer" -- at the very least -- marks another visually stunning notch in the belt for director Karyn Kusama, and further displays the impressive dramatic talents within Nicole Kidman. Outside these two components, though, there's much to be desired. The narrative fluctuates in terms of complexity, ultimately trying one final flourish in the third act that it doesn't quite stick the landing on. It doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the actual events on paper being uninteresting or anything. It's more of a presentational thing. A bit too pretentious and "trying too hard" at times. Kidman's great and her hair and makeup are quite convincing. The hair and makeup on every other character can vary from "alright" to "nice try," however. There are also a few scenes and images where, again, the movie's artistic appearance seems to ignore what the audience is/isn't going to think is dumb. Or maybe the filmmakers just don't know. It's not a particularly bad cop drama/thriller, but considering how good it looks overall and how terrific a lead performance we got, I really think I should have felt more than the emptiness I'm feeling now.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
RalfbergsJan 14, 2021
While I liked the premise and thought Nicole Kidman was great in it, plus the story idea in general was good, how it outplayed on the screen felt so boring at times. It felt like it dragged on too much with boring scenes where nothing reallyWhile I liked the premise and thought Nicole Kidman was great in it, plus the story idea in general was good, how it outplayed on the screen felt so boring at times. It felt like it dragged on too much with boring scenes where nothing really happened which made it less exciting to watch… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
mohamad91hkMay 9, 2019
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Nice movie and amazing performance by Nicole Kidman, i think she deserves an Oscar nomination at least in her role in ''Destroyer''.

Her acting and her zombie makeup make you truly feel how is she suffering from her past, she lives deeply into her role to give us that amazing performance.

The writers used flashback and flash forward style in the movie, which was nice and give the audience more suspense during the movie. Also the shifting between these two timeline was perfect and smooth which make you comfort and not confused in the movie, so you can figure out easily what's going on.

The only thing that i didn't feel it in the movie is the undercover operation. honestly i think no need for undercover operation!!! i didn't feel there was a really dangerous gang, they look like a normal people. i think they had to show more about how this gang is dangerous and how the infiltration is difficult.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
Bertaut1Feb 1, 2019
A superb central performance elevates a quotidian plot

Written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, and directed by Karyn Kusama, Destroyer is an unashamedly pulpy genre piece, confrontationally ugly and unapologetically nihilistic. EssentiallyA superb central performance elevates a quotidian plot

Written by Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi, and directed by Karyn Kusama, Destroyer is an unashamedly pulpy genre piece, confrontationally ugly and unapologetically nihilistic. Essentially the story of a damaged cop determined to settle one last score, what Destroyer brings to the table is that the archetypal "he" of such narratives is here a "she", with Kusama relying heavily on Nicole Kidman's performance to do most of the heavy lifting. Although the film has the tendency to approach every scene with an air of self-seriousness that can become grating, there are undeniably individual moments of great brilliance here.

LAPD homicide detective Erin Bell (Kidman) is burnt out. Following her efforts to find Silas (Toby Kebbell), the former leader of a bank robbery crew, the film tells the parallel story of Bell trying to raise her daughter, Shelby (Jade Pettyjohn). Revealing via a series of flashbacks that 17 years prior, Bell and then partner, Chris (Sebastian Stan), were given an undercover assignment to bust Silas and his crew. Posing as a couple, they infiltrated the group, but fell in love for real, with subsequent events resulting in the broken person Bell has become.

Although Kusama doesn't explicitly foreground it, gender politics are an important aspect of the film. Much has been made of Kidman's physical transformation, although both Kusama and Kidman have argued that her appearance is not what the film is about, nor should it be critics' focus. Still though, we're not quite at a point where a woman altering her appearance for a role is unremarkable, and like Charlize Theron in Monster (2003), Kidman's commitment to the part must be applauded. She commits to Bell as an unlikable, violent, and psychologically ruined character, which in and of itself challenges conventional notions of what a female lead should be. Embittered and irredeemable, Bell is the type of person usually played by a man, and it's to the film's credit that it resists the urge to soften her, with Kidman's performance haunting, disturbing, and heartbreaking all at once. The flashback structure is also important here, as Kidman plays Bell very differently in these scenes - her hair is more kempt, her skin smoother (via some subtle de-ageing VFX), her eyes don't droop, her gait is more upright, she smiles a couple of times, her voice is more authoritative. A stark contrast to the woman we initially meet.

Of course, she's also a mother, and like so many male archetypes, she has not been there for her child. This compels the audience to ask questions regarding how men and women are perceived on screen - is a woman neglecting a child more forgivable than a man doing so, or less; do we simply expect women to automatically be good mothers in ways we never consider in relation to men as fathers? What do our presuppositions about motherhood on screen say about us?

Aesthetically, Kusama's LA is deeply cynical and owes a sizable debt to Michael Mann. A place of dried out waterways, burnt grass, a glaring sun, endless concrete, pollution, corruption, betrayal, graffiti, and indiscriminate violence the city is shot by Cinematographer Julie Kirkwood in washed-out anaemic hues, with lots of sun spots and lens flares (although she uses a more saturated palette in the flashbacks).

Of course, there are problems. For the most part, the screenplay is unoriginal and without the power of Kidman's performance, this would have been a straight-to-disk. The script also seems to be teasing the audience with the promise of a big reveal that will transpose Bell's story into something more esoteric. The first season of True Detective employed this technique as well, but when the show pulled the trigger, the reveal was worth the wait. In Destroyer, it's hard to be certain if there even was a reveal. The script is aiming for profundity, but it's nowhere near as smart as it thinks it is. Along these lines, Kusama makes some very strange directorial choices, such as shooting a group of skateboarders in chiaroscuro and extreme slow-motion, not once, but twice. What exactly is their significance? Why does Kusama shoot them as if they are offering some kind of life-altering revelation? Are they supposed to act as a chorus? Are they a metaphor for something?

Destroyer is an average story elevated by the commitment of its lead and some laudable aesthetic work. It's a cynical and humourless film noir aspiring to something more substantial, but never really attaining it. However, its unflinching depiction of devastating emotional trauma, presenting Bell as an open wound, slowly bleeding out, is brilliantly handled. The complete inverse of films which depict characters responding to tragedy with humour, optimism, and determination, Destroyer is brutally nihilistic, giving us a character whose obsession is both keeping her alive and killing her.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
2
KenRFeb 26, 2020
Unless you enjoy being spat at, verbally abused and treated like a second rate viewer this could be a good movie to stay away from. TV director Karyn Kusama, her writer hubby Phil Hay, along with his co-writer Matt Manfredi look like beingUnless you enjoy being spat at, verbally abused and treated like a second rate viewer this could be a good movie to stay away from. TV director Karyn Kusama, her writer hubby Phil Hay, along with his co-writer Matt Manfredi look like being names to consider adding to a must avoid list. With a sludge fund of impossible to like characters - who continue to become more detestable as the minutes tick by (and there is 2 long Hrs worth that goes very slowly). You will be forgiven if you walk (no, run) out on this grot-fest of undesirable situations and characters (my audience was gone within the first 25mins). I, being a glutton for punishment had to stay to see just how much worse it could get --struggled to the bitter end-- did it get better? Sadly not. It’s another of those simple stories that have been given an unnecessary flash-back flash-forward edit job - in an attempt to make you think it's deep and meaningful, it isn’t. It seems Nichole Kidman may be heading down the road to self ruin by taking any script that’s thrown at her - leaving any followers left to think twice, before any longer bothering to follow her career. It’s as if she mistakenly feels, as these cheap writers do, that you have to keep going lower down the moral scale to be noticed. Well, from the look of the lowering audience attendances this just ain’t necessarily so! The artsy pretensions did not help whatsoever, just made it look all the more contrived. Waste of an otherwise interesting music score and just about everything else. For the easily pleased.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
sitebenderApr 20, 2019
Jumping around from past to present was a bit confusing as I had no idea who any of the characters were as their older selves. It was still a compelling movie as Nicole plays a seemingly alcoholic, take no prisoners, police detective tryingJumping around from past to present was a bit confusing as I had no idea who any of the characters were as their older selves. It was still a compelling movie as Nicole plays a seemingly alcoholic, take no prisoners, police detective trying to look out for her kid that is a trouble magnet. I'm shocked she didn't just kill everyone. A lot of things seem more like happenstance rather than detective work.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
QjDApr 27, 2019
This story takes place in LA, a veteran homicide detective played by Nicole Kidman tries to rectify some wrongs of her past. There's a lot of flashback moments within this film so pay close attention to everything that's happening, if youThis story takes place in LA, a veteran homicide detective played by Nicole Kidman tries to rectify some wrongs of her past. There's a lot of flashback moments within this film so pay close attention to everything that's happening, if you don't you may become lost, there are a lot of dull moments in this film. The director was attentive in this movie when it comes to the cops and how they act as if they went through police training for their role. Good plot, ok storyline.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
AmirossenMay 6, 2019
The performance given by Nicole Kidman and other actors are great but the movie doesn't have much story to tell specially for a 2 hours long crime/drama movie and it could be shorter. there are some scenes that seems a little not necessaryThe performance given by Nicole Kidman and other actors are great but the movie doesn't have much story to tell specially for a 2 hours long crime/drama movie and it could be shorter. there are some scenes that seems a little not necessary for the plot. The story and the way it has been told is so realistic which is the best feature of the movie. the aspect of time and the reason that viewer is clueless of the past is the only magnet for them to stay and figure out the rest of the movie which is i personally think is so slow.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
9
DawdlingPoetNov 20, 2021
This is a really quite edgy, gritty and raw type thriller film, with Nicole Kidman giving a strong performance in the main lead, as a very determined officer, willing to do whatever it takes to ger her target. It has the feel of a somewhatThis is a really quite edgy, gritty and raw type thriller film, with Nicole Kidman giving a strong performance in the main lead, as a very determined officer, willing to do whatever it takes to ger her target. It has the feel of a somewhat underground film, not so much that its a b-movie in tone but more in terms of the plot details, the dark tone of it I suppose. Its not entirely a film with lots of glitz and glamour, of course. I felt Kidman was very convincing in this film and it felt quite engrosing, although the somewhat shaky camerawork at times did put me off a little. Its relatively absorbing and intriguing, plot wise, with the viewer slowly learning more about Erin Bells background as the film continues.

The incidental music played, mostly edgy stringed instrument type music (like that used in Hitchcock films), is relatively good at adding to the general sense of uncertainty and the doubt of who will be the first to blink, if you know what I mean, although it is perhaps a little loud now and again. In that sense, its quite intriguing, even 'mean and moody'. I suppose Kidmans character is someone that many parents and police officers may/can relate to, to one extent or another. Its a relatively fast paced (if in short bursts) and frantic watch, raw and well characterised film which I'd recommend.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
geewahJan 4, 2021
A strong yet understated performance from Kidman in a movie that's more about someone struggling with decisions made in the past than it is a crime/cop movie
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
More From This Movie

62 Critic Reviews

5.8 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL