Annapurna Pictures | Release Date: December 25, 2018
5.8
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Mixed or average reviews based on 80 Ratings
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33
Mixed:
34
Negative:
13
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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 nearly
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 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.
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1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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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.
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1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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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 screenplay
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 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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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