Live by Night
Warner Bros. | Release Date: December 25, 2016
7.6
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 274 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
193
Mixed:
56
Negative:
25
Watch Now
Buy 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
8
RalfbergsApr 1, 2017
Great movie! I really enjoyed the story and as I like gangster movies, this certainly was one of the best in last few years. The acting of course was really good too.
29 of 30 users found this helpful291
All this user's reviews
8
BerikJan 16, 2019
An interesting story about a guy living in Boston, who dates the wrong woman. But then becomes a big shot working for the italian mob. Ben Affleck plays a guy who is crafty, and has to deal with racists and people from his past to accomplishAn interesting story about a guy living in Boston, who dates the wrong woman. But then becomes a big shot working for the italian mob. Ben Affleck plays a guy who is crafty, and has to deal with racists and people from his past to accomplish his goal. And alltogether, it is quite enjoyable to watch.

I can keep this short saying i was pleasantly surprised by the movie and a look in the prohibition. It's an excellent movie, i give it an 8/10.… Expand
40 of 42 users found this helpful402
All this user's reviews
8
SpangleJan 17, 2017
Having read the novel by Dennis Lehane, it became apparent that any adaptation of the novel would have to be long in order to capture the sprawling grandness of the novel. From Boston to jail to Ybor City to Cuba, the book has a lot ofHaving read the novel by Dennis Lehane, it became apparent that any adaptation of the novel would have to be long in order to capture the sprawling grandness of the novel. From Boston to jail to Ybor City to Cuba, the book has a lot of players, a lot of angles, lots of action and moving parts, and a lot of subplots. The film adaptation sticks largely to these transitions and mentions many of the subplots without diving into them. This is both to the film's detriment and betterment as it often feels as it lacks the depth necessary to make all of its pieces work, but also feels like it is adding in too much. As many have said, making it shorter or longer would have been for the best. However, the final product - which sits at just over two hours in length - is very, very good. Ultimately a barometer on how much people like Ben Affleck, the critical and audience reaction has said that Affleck sucks at either acting, directing, or writing, or a selection of the trio. Fortunately, for me, I do really enjoy Affleck's work in all three arenas. As such, Live by Night falls right into my wheelhouse and, for the most part, works very well.

That said, it is hardly perfect. The beginning section, set in Boston and in jail, is rocky to say the least. For critics who do not enjoy Affleck, this early section makes it easy to write it off as nothing more than a derivative homage to old school gangster and noir flicks. With a femme fatale, underdeveloped morality elements, heists, a cop father, and brushing shoulders with death and gangsters, and doing all of these while smoking a well shot cigarette in a suit with a fedora, the beginning is derivative. It is also messily put together, typically shot, and poorly edited. Scenes smash into one another as Affleck skims through the first 100+ pages of the book to try and get to the good part. He sprinkles little pieces here and there to set the scene and tries to rush through it all. Likely, editing this portion was a real pain as it is the slowest part of the film and is entirely necessary. As such, it flies by and feels wholly inadequate.

For this who decide to stick around, however, Affleck delivers a tremendous gangster flick once we hit Ybor City. Charged with running the rum operation in Tampa of gangster Maso Pescatore (Remo Girone), Joe Coughlin (Affleck) is a nice guy. He can kill, but cannot live with the guilt. While the beginning is derivative and typical of gangster flicks, this section is hardly typical. Cruel gangster with a conscience has been done before, but not quite like this. Instead, he is an uncruel gangster who operates more as a remorseful businessman. His line of business demands violence, but unless the person makes an overt case for deserving a bullet to the head, he is hardly a gunman. Instead, he runs a tremendous operation and lives out the American dream with his best friend Dino Bartolo (Chris Messina) at his side. Taking on the KKK and the gang of Albert White (Robert Gleinster) at every turn, Joe is able to defeat all comers. He corners the market in Ybor City and, as the book explains more and the movie hints at, the entirety of the South stretching to New Orleans. Raking in cash, he also meets a Cuban freedom fighter who becomes his wife, Graciela Suarez (Zoe Saldana). Life is good as he plans on opening a casino to preempt the legalization of alcohol. Until he meets Loretta Figgis (Elle Fanning).

The daughter of Chief Sheriff Irving Figgis (Chris Cooper), Loretta is gorgeous. She is off to Hollywood, but trips along the way and falls into heroin and the sex trade. Joe brings her back to Ybor City as his end of a bargain with Irving in exchange for a KKK member's head. Loretta returns and becomes a preacher who commands a large congregation and builds up serious political sway. She also happens to be anti-gambling, as she views it as a vice and a sin against God. Though directed to kill her, Joe cannot. She kills the casino deal and ends Joe's run as the Mayor of Ybor. Why could he not kill her? Well, to explain that, it really dives into what makes Live by Night so good.

Early in the film, Joe's father Thomas Coughlin (Brendan Gleeson) warns his bandit of a son that we reap what we sow in life. Joe, a good man, knows this. He knows that his gangster lifestyle will come back to haunt him because of the violence he must commit to remain relevant. He kills people via booze, pimps out girls, and sells drugs. He is not a good man and this bothers him. As Albert White explains to Joe early in the film, Joe is looking for somebody to make him pay for his sins. Joe is remorseful and regrets his sins, which is why he cannot kill Loretta. He envies and admires her. She went to hell and back. She preaches and lives up to the word of God. She sinned and escaped retribution for her sins. She outran the rebuking (her father spanking her does not count). This is really underscored in the final shot of the film.… Expand
38 of 45 users found this helpful387
All this user's reviews
8
Stagger74Jul 11, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Live by night is a slick, action packed crime thriller. This movie has great acting and many action scenes to satisfy fans of the gangster crime genre.… Expand
8 of 8 users found this helpful80
All this user's reviews
8
SextetSep 16, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pretty Good Crime Thriller

Yeah, I know I'm supposed to hate Ben Affleck because he did his woman wrong or he was a horrible Batman or because he got into a fight with Bill Maher over liberalism, blah, blah, blah, but all of that nonsense aside, this was a good, solid crime thriller period piece. I wasn't alive back then and neither were any of you, so take it with a grain of salt and enjoy the ride. It's got Irish mob, Mafia, Cuba, prohibition, gambling, Florida, murder, sex, violence, bombing, and the story is just fine--not disjointed at all. No, it wasn't "The Godfather" - and I didn't expect it to be. But after all the negative press, I almost expected it to be "Plan 9 From Outer Space." It wasn't. It was a good way to spend 2 hours and 10 minutes. Kept my attention which plenty more than I can say for many new films.… Expand
2 of 2 users found this helpful20
All this user's reviews
8
ClairvoyanceOct 6, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very nice gangster effort

LIVE BY NIGHT is a tour-de-force gangster epic from Ben Affleck, set in 1920s Florida where rival gangsters seem to spend the whole running time plotting against each other and striving to win control of their turf. It's a lively, well-paced effort, directed very nicely by Affleck himself, who also bags the main role. The film reminded me of BOARDWALK EMPIRE particularly, which may have been the intent, and has the same quality of cinematography and feel. There are action scenes sprinkled liberally throughout and they're immersive and impressive, particularly a wonderfully old-fashioned car chase. The supporting cast is dotted with familiar character actors giving solid performances and overall there's very little to dislike about this one.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
8
Anisette570Jul 6, 2021
[][][][][][][][][][][[[][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][]
!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,!,
7 of 8 users found this helpful71
All this user's reviews
8
Acquit77Jul 19, 2021
⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙●■●■●■●●■●■●■●■
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$÷%÷%÷%÷%÷%÷%÷%÷%÷%÷%÷%÷%
7 of 8 users found this helpful71
All this user's reviews
8
Xenophobe114Jun 24, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gangster Movie

I went to the theater to watch a Gangster/Mafia movie, and I got one. Mafia movies are by far my favorite type of movie. Live by Night delivered that 1920's gangster look. Ben Affleck does an amazing Irish Mafia member persona. The story was very moving and the characters were likable. There was just enough action in the movie. The tommy gun fight scenes felt like a real 1920's gang shoot out. Live by Night shows a true gangster movie look. Most Mafia movies rely on the story to make their movie good. Live by Night uses action and an amazing story. I had a little trouble with keeping up with the names of the characters but later on I started memorizing their names. Definitely go see this movie if your a gangster/mafia movie fan. Live by Night will not disappoint you.… Expand
5 of 6 users found this helpful51
All this user's reviews
8
ReceptacleJun 22, 2021
÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷÷===============================
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
4 of 5 users found this helpful41
All this user's reviews
8
Libation70Aug 2, 2021
=;=:=:=;=:=:=:=:=:=:=;=;=;=;=;=;;=;=;=;=;=;=;=;=;=;=;=;= ◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡◇♡●■●■
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
8
Lanyard980Aug 7, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Pretty Good Crime Thriller

Yeah, I know I'm supposed to hate Ben Affleck because he did his woman wrong or he was a horrible Batman or because he got into a fight with Bill Maher over liberalism, blah, blah, blah, but all of that nonsense aside, this was a good, solid crime thriller period piece. I wasn't alive back then and neither were any of you, so take it with a grain of salt and enjoy the ride. It's got Irish mob, Mafia, Cuba, prohibition, gambling, Florida, murder, sex, violence, bombing, and the story is just fine--not disjointed at all. No, it wasn't "The Godfather" - and I didn't expect it to be. But after all the negative press, I almost expected it to be "Plan 9 From Outer Space." It wasn't. It was a good way to spend 2 hours and 10 minutes. Kept my attention which is lot more than I can say for most new films.… Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
8
RialtoAug 12, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't fathom what people didn't comprehend about this. The movie was very fine. It can easily be considered as one of the best gangster movies we came across this year. As a viewer I was able to see the amount of hard work the team had put on. The movie was very refreshing. The screenplay was awesome so was Cinematography & Direction. Actors also joined hands and it was looking in the screen. I could feel it. This movie was as realistic as it could get. Maybe some people didn't understood. Not everything needs to be understood by everyone anyway. It's a must watch movie. And if you like crime Genre then you cannot miss this one. This movie is full of aesthetics and entertainment. It'll grip you to your seats. Just ignore the negativity & don't miss this one. It'll leave an impact on you. And you'll surely feel refreshed.… Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
8
Vicinity578Aug 15, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ben gives an intriguing performance in Live By Night. Ben's character is very clever & he outsmarts his rivals with his ingenuity. The gangster saga is riddled with cliches, but it rises above its drawbacks. The movie is chock full of action galore gangster style, narration by Ben, a solid supporting cast and there are even neat twists in the movie in the later part of the film. Ben also directed this crime thriller and this is one of his better films of recent years, B+.… Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
8
Abbatoir89Sep 4, 2021
@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%@#$%
%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@%$#@
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
8
Bogyophobic34Sep 11, 2021
*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:
☆°•☆°•☆°•☆°•☆°•☆°•☆°•☆°•☆°•☆°•☆°•☆
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
8
Celestial91Sep 15, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A dark, violent film but fascinating.

Joe Coughlin (Ben Affleck, who also wrote and directed) is Tom the police chief's son (Brendan Gleeson) in 20's Beantown. Nevertheless, he prefers the life of crime himself. He and his co-horts rob banks and poker games, upsetting his papa greatly. Love, however, remains strong between the two. Moreover, Joe is small peanuts in a town run by two mob leaders, one an Irishman and the other Italian. As fate would have it, Joe falls for the Irish mobster's "moll", Emma (Sienna Miller) and begins a clandestine affair, knowing the consequences if Boss Albert finds out. Joe daydreams so much about Emma that on a routine bank heist, his foggy mind upsets the apple cart. This leads to a police chase and fiery crash; Joe escapes, the cops do not. Albert IS looking for Joe, for he knows the score now, but doesn't get there before Tom arrives. Pulling strings, Tom gets Joe a very light sentence of three years. Wow. When he gets out, Joe doesn't know where Emma is, believing her to be dead, and decides to "relocate" to Tampa Florida, working for the Italian Boston Boss. He does this because the Irishman is worming his way into bootlegging and gambling down south, too, in Miami. Once there, Joe does a fabulous job, working with Cubans including lovely Graciela (Zoe Saldana). The straight-laced police chief, Figgis looks the other way and has a beautiful daughter, Loretta (Elle Fanning) who is off the star in Hollywood. But, what happens when the Italian mobster begins to believe Joe is weak and not into "killing" anymore? What about Albert, is he still looking for Joe? This very fine movie has great performances, many twists and turns, gorgeous sets, fabulous costumes, and a style that dazzles. Who can we thank? Why, first, Affleck who stars, writes, and directs and Dennis Lehane, whose novel came first. Purists may want to know that the ending of the film is different from the book while those who detest violence won't want to watch it. Even so, the violence is not pervasive and the story too good too miss. So, movie fan, don't skip it.… Expand
2 of 3 users found this helpful21
All this user's reviews
9
MyDistUniverseJan 21, 2017
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Google Image
Live by Night is a old style gangster movie, that plays out in the height of the prohibition era on the east coast and the south of the Untied States. It features Ben Affleck, Sienna Miller and Zoe Saldana amongst a whole host of other stars.

When Joe Coughlin comes back from serving in the First World War he is done taking orders. He’s seen too many good people die senseless deaths following other people's directions.

After he returns to Boston he decides to become an outlaw. For the next ten years he sleeps by day and lives by night, robbing anyone worth stealing from. But, robbing banks and gaming parlours had to bring him to the attention of the wrong people at some stage.

His life style eventually catches up with him when he finds himself caught between the Italian mob, lead by Maso Pescatore, and the Irish mob, lead by Albert White. Joe’s lover is the girlfriend of Albert White, a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by the Italians. Maso Pescatore tries to blackmail him with that fact into killing White.

Coughlin refuses as he still resents taking orders from anyone and also does not want to be associated with the mob. Pescatore rats him out to White, landing Joe first in hospital and then in prison. His lover is killed in the mayhem following the events that lead up to Joes incarceration.

A new Start

When he gets out he decides to join the Italian mob after all, hoping to be able to avenge Emma’s death. Maso sends him down to Tampa, Florida to wrestle the city from Albert’s hands, who has taken over the rum distribution in Florida. That first task accomplished Joe sets out to build en empire, taking full advantage of the illegal booze trade during the height of the prohibition.

While in Tampa he forms an alliance with Cuban siblings, one of them is Gabriella Corrales, whom he eventually marries. Being in a relationship with a black woman however, brings a whole new set of trouble in form of the Klu Klux Klan to his doorstep. After some initial set backs, Joe disposes of local splinter group the Italian way.

In the end there is a big show down between Joe, Albert White and Maso Pescatore.

I really like Live At Night. It is an good old fashioned gangster movie, something you don't see often anymore. The script is great, although it did feel a little long winded at times. At some points I could not believe that there was yet another twist in the story. But in the end it all made sense.

Ben Affleck was a busy man with Live By Night. He wrote the screenplay, directed the movie and starred in it. Leonardo DiCaprio and Affleck are listed as producers. It’s not the best movie ever made, but it is definitely worth watching.… Expand
6 of 10 users found this helpful64
All this user's reviews
8
Palindrome704Jul 4, 2021
¤¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤
•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡¤¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤
•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡•¡
4 of 7 users found this helpful43
All this user's reviews
8
Pluto744Jun 21, 2021
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
8 of 16 users found this helpful88
All this user's reviews
8
BenignSep 12, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Synopsis- In the roaring '20s, Prohibition hasn’t stopped the flow of booze in an underground network of gangster-run speakeasies. The opportunity to gain power and money is there for any man with enough ambition and nerve and Joe Coughlin, the son of the Boston Police superintendent, long ago turned his back on his strict upbringing for the spoils of being an outlaw. But even among criminals there are rules and Joe breaks a big one: crossing a powerful mafioso by pilfering his funds & his moll. The fiery affair ends in tragedy, setting Joe on a path of revenge, ambition, romance and betrayal that propels him out of Boston and up the ladder of Tampa’s steamy rum-running underworld.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
All this user's reviews
7
NotoriousFraudFeb 19, 2017
Critics have been out for blood in every movie that Ben Affleck has involved himself in lately. First came the unjustified hate that came to "Batman V Superman" which lead to the corporate mishandling of "Suicide Squad" which would have beenCritics have been out for blood in every movie that Ben Affleck has involved himself in lately. First came the unjustified hate that came to "Batman V Superman" which lead to the corporate mishandling of "Suicide Squad" which would have been trashed either way. Then the slick but flawed action thriller "The Accountant" premiered and received more critical distaste. The difference with "Live By Night", is that the critics finally got what they wanted, a bad release date and an overblown budget caused the loss of up to $70 Million for WB. It's interesting how after just one super hero movie, Ben is already being treated the same way as someone like Michael Bay, or Roland Emmerich. "Live By Night" is the best gangster tale i have seen since Michael Mann's "Public Enemies".… Expand
5 of 13 users found this helpful58
All this user's reviews
7
KaptenVideoJan 23, 2017
Do you remember? Ben Affleck's breakthrough came alongside then-BFF Matt Damon, starring in "Good Will Hunting" (1997) for which they both also won Academy Award for best original screenplay.

Affleck's career hasn't been as chock-full ofDo you remember? Ben Affleck's breakthrough came alongside then-BFF Matt Damon, starring in "Good Will Hunting" (1997) for which they both also won Academy Award for best original screenplay.

Affleck's career hasn't been as chock-full of rock solid movies as Damon's but he's still a fine actor and some would say he's even better as director. He won his second Academy Award for directing "Argo" (2013) but his first works in this field, "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town", are really good also.

"Live by Night" is probably meant as Affleck's magnum opus, with him directing, starring and adapting another Dennis Lehane's novel (after "Gone Baby Gone").

It's a good-looking, majestic, violent and slowburning mafia drama taking place in 1920-30's USA, from Boston to Florida. In a good way, it's really reminiscent of such great classics as "The Godfather" and "Scarface". Sometimes it feels more like the former, the other times the latter. But the result is not just me-too-project because mafia dramas are cool. The ambitions have been higher.

Affleck is careful to build up the authentic setting and let characters have enough depth to make us actually care. Like in good tv series, he takes his time creating the atmosphere but also offering enough brutal bloodletting to keep the more impatient viewer satisfied.

There's no serious problem with the result... but "Live by Night" is too traditional. It's like re-watching your favorite mafia epics – from recent stuff, I'd recommend HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" – but with a big helping of sad-faced Affleck. It's all good but not so fresh anymore. What's worse, these days many of the other screen stories about criminals offer this kind of experiences too. You can enjoy comparable quality, from Netflix's "Luke Cage", for example. Americans really know how to put together stuff like this, and they have done so many times, which doesn't work for Affleck's favor.

On the other hand, if you haven't seen enough of this kind of stuff, "Live by Night" offers everything the genre fan needs: good story, exciting action, convincing characters, really good cast of actors... Affleck fills the lead and has the most amount of screen time. There are also Sienna Miller and Zoe Saldana as two of his biggest loves, Brendan Gleeson as his father, plus various interesting characters played by Chris Cooper, Elle Fanning, Miguel (yes, that R&B star), Matthew Maher, Chris Messina... I didn't just list a bunch of actors here, all of them impressed me with their performances and colorful characters. "Live by Night" may not be super gripping story-wise but it sure does have a lot of cool actors in memorable roles. Considering how many moviemakers just seem to waste the acting talent they have been given, it surely must count for something.

I enjoyed how there's something interesting nuance or detail about each and every major character. For example, the lead man doesn't just want to be gangster and chooses to see himself just an outlaw. His priority is to be his own man and he dislikes violence, choosing the diplomatic way whenever possible. For most of the time, he even questions if he's cruel enough to hold this position of power he has gained. You will remember him as sad, haunted man locked between two worlds, never quite achieving neither peace nor freedom he seems to want so much.

That may not be all that original but mafia epics don't usually offer this kind of depth, outside of TV world.… Expand
5 of 14 users found this helpful59
All this user's reviews
8
AbolishAug 17, 2021
●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●°●
$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*$*+.÷.÷.÷.÷.÷.÷.÷.÷.÷.÷.÷.÷.
1 of 3 users found this helpful12
All this user's reviews
8
ScuffleOct 20, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Daydreaming

Not exactly of course. And if you want to get a high position in a criminal organization, you probably should never sleep, let anyone out of your eye sight and be strapped all the time. But this may make this sound a lot more action paced than it is. This actually takes a page (or more) from older crime movies, especially when it comes to its pacing and storytelling in general.

That may not be everyone's case of course, so that will be up to you. Still you can't fault the movie for its quality and while it is not another "Town" (though that eventually happens too, no pun intended), this does move correctly into a different territory and shows off Ben Afflecks other qualities. A strong and stellar cast in a slow burning movie ... sounds good?… Expand
2 of 7 users found this helpful25
All this user's reviews
7
TheMetacritiqerJan 22, 2017
Affleck has suited up to currently be the most prominent actor. He came back with movie of the year Batman V Soup(yes that's intentional)erman and followed up with one of the best action flicks of 2016 The Accountant. And now we got anotherAffleck has suited up to currently be the most prominent actor. He came back with movie of the year Batman V Soup(yes that's intentional)erman and followed up with one of the best action flicks of 2016 The Accountant. And now we got another great one. Will this be his last one until Justice League? I'm gonna say yes but not definitively since the advertisements for this movie came out of the blue. It's too bad this was a critical and commercial flop. But the best are not always getting what they deserve.… Expand
3 of 13 users found this helpful310
All this user's reviews
7
paychickJan 15, 2017
Would have worked better as a mini-series (because it would allowed some of the themes to breathe), but overall has some great moments and it's well-acted.
5 of 25 users found this helpful520
All this user's reviews
10
Samuel-MinuzziDec 27, 2016
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I have not yet had the opportunity to watch the movie, I'm sure it will be brilliant as the book, because I trust the work of Director Ben Affleck , besides the wonderful cast.… Expand
6 of 86 users found this helpful680
All this user's reviews
8
CisternOct 27, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Gangsters and Gunshots in Prohibition America.

Being a Jazz Age aficionado and a Dennis Lehane fan I looked forward to reading the book and seeing the film. In this film adaptation Ben Affleck plays Joe Coughlin, an Irish-American who skirts the edges of crime only to find himself swallowed by it. Mafia boss Maso Pescatore sends him down to Florida to set up a profitable business only to find our hero botching up his job which leads to bloodshed and a swift turn of events. Supporting Affleck is the ever reliable Brendan Gleeson as his father, sour-faced Chris Cooper as the patriarch to the charming Elle Fanning who portrays a religious zealot who gets in the way. While no classic and a little slow-going and talky for a gangster flick, this is nonetheless a good, low-key film where Affleck shows his chops as one of Hollywood's multiple threat stars.… Expand
0 of 5 users found this helpful05
All this user's reviews
More From This Movie

49 Critic Reviews

7.6 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 71 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL