Straw Dogs
Screen Gems | Release Date: September 16, 2011
5.9
USER SCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 66 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
29
Mixed:
29
Negative:
8
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
10
HihihahahohoDec 30, 2020
Amazing movie. Absolutely truthful, all about stupid religious people. James Marsden made a very cool job
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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3
FilmanwaltJan 17, 2021
Girlfriend fell asleep and I was still in the mood for a movie, zapped a little on Sky and ran Straw Dogs. For me again one of those films that want to be more than they could ever be. It's a cheap track number, but it doesn't exude the charmGirlfriend fell asleep and I was still in the mood for a movie, zapped a little on Sky and ran Straw Dogs. For me again one of those films that want to be more than they could ever be. It's a cheap track number, but it doesn't exude the charm that such films can exude. The film wants to be an intelligent thriller, but has far too little tension build-up, basically you know what is going on from the start and you hope that at least the expected action is okay.

So the film constructs everything right, puts everything into position in a boring form and then at least manages to stage the mentioned action in an acceptable manner, which still doesn't pull the cart out of the mud. Actually it's okay with Jim Marsden, Kate Bosworth and Alexander Skarsgard, but not anymore, not even with the rest (the dialogues etc. just don't look much).

All in all trash without esprit. 3/10 "hillbillies".… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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6
MarcDoyleSep 23, 2011
I enjoyed the film - definitely surpassed my expectations. My main problem with the movie is the motivation of the SkarsgÃ¥rd character. Is he just crazy? What makes the guy tick? The set-up to the final confrontation shouldn'tI enjoyed the film - definitely surpassed my expectations. My main problem with the movie is the motivation of the SkarsgÃ¥rd character. Is he just crazy? What makes the guy tick? The set-up to the final confrontation shouldn't have been rooted in hiding the disabled guy. It gave the bad dudes a somewhat legitimate reason to get in the house. They should have laid siege on the place out of pure rage, revenge, or because some other unjustified reason.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
LightSep 19, 2011
I liked this film a lot more than the critics did. Not nearly in the class of the original with Dustin Hoffman, which is a classic, but still fairly entertaining. I thought the male lead was miscast, and lacked the goofy everyman quality ofI liked this film a lot more than the critics did. Not nearly in the class of the original with Dustin Hoffman, which is a classic, but still fairly entertaining. I thought the male lead was miscast, and lacked the goofy everyman quality of Hoffman, who played an average guy who has to show a real character arc. This chiseled actor could have played the hero or one of the bad guys, so the director/producers/execs (who knows who to blame nowadays?) seriously misunderstood the material. Still, a good 'B' movie. A good bad movie, as I like to say.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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10
ciaonineSep 22, 2011
A disturbing but compelling film with very good performances.James Marsden shows that he can do more than appear in romantic comedies.Kate Bosworth is both cute and sexy and shows she can act too.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
AkkharJan 2, 2012
Straw Dogs did so much less then i what I expected . The Opening and Ending was good and the only time i felt like seeing a thriller movie . It wasn't hard to make it good . I mean A couple return to Early Home and Caught up with so crazyStraw Dogs did so much less then i what I expected . The Opening and Ending was good and the only time i felt like seeing a thriller movie . It wasn't hard to make it good . I mean A couple return to Early Home and Caught up with so crazy S*** all over the small town that's a good background but the script was too weak . James did good then i expected . But Kate and SkarsgÃ¥rd did not, I (really)like both of their acting but not in this one . The small little town was really nice and Rod Lurie could get more out of it but sadly he failed . I really expected a good Physio-thriller but sadly I'm really disappointed .… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
MadCap1987Sep 27, 2011
disturbing though it may be, your attention is constantly gripped and you realy feel conected to the charectors which makes the set peice of the film even more thrilling, the fact that the violence isnt showy and over the top only drives homedisturbing though it may be, your attention is constantly gripped and you realy feel conected to the charectors which makes the set peice of the film even more thrilling, the fact that the violence isnt showy and over the top only drives home the true horror of the scenario, an absolute cult classic, id sugest watching it if its ever on tv, i dunno if id buy it unless it was cheap.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
LetzTalkMoveezOct 21, 2012
The fact that we're rooting for "the good guys" tells us something went wrong. That said, this remake is entertaining and quite competently put together as a revenge actioner.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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9
KG3Sep 19, 2011
The movie was one of the best thrillers I have seen all year and one of the top six movies on the year that I have seen. Good acting, good story. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. If you are a fan of theThe movie was one of the best thrillers I have seen all year and one of the top six movies on the year that I have seen. Good acting, good story. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. If you are a fan of the Horror/thriller/Suspense genre as I am then you will enjoy this. Even though it's not much of a horror more thriller/suspense. But really good. I give it four out of five stars. It was really enjoying to watch. It's a realistic scenario that could happen in real life. Maybe not exactly how it transpired in the film, but if you watch it you will understand exactly what I mean.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
Sir_BrandonOct 13, 2011
Straw Dogs is a remake of the 1971 film of the same name and starred Dustin Hoffman. Now I have never seen that version so I am unable to compare the two movies, but I am very interested in seeing the 1971 version just to see how tense andStraw Dogs is a remake of the 1971 film of the same name and starred Dustin Hoffman. Now I have never seen that version so I am unable to compare the two movies, but I am very interested in seeing the 1971 version just to see how tense and violent that one is cause I can tell you that this new version has quite a bit of both in it. Director Rod Lurie (The Contender, Nothing But The Truth) knows this movie has to take the audience to the edge without knocking you off of it. I donâ… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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2
andischatzNov 3, 2011
Very good performances by very good actors, unfortunately failing to save this film. Entirely predictable (the setups are all way too obvious), the film ponders on forever with more or less only one thing to do - set up the final showdown.Very good performances by very good actors, unfortunately failing to save this film. Entirely predictable (the setups are all way too obvious), the film ponders on forever with more or less only one thing to do - set up the final showdown. When that finally arrives, it all goes horribly wrong when it starts celebrating the violence that you had really hoped wasn't part of the hero's character. Yes, people got "what was coming to them," but the violence was too gratuitous and delivered with too much gusto, which made the main character (and the film) lose its moral high ground. Unpleasant and boring.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
Tss5078Jan 25, 2015
For the 30th anniversary of Dustin Hoffman's classic film, Straw Dogs, the studio decided instead of re-releasing a special edition, that they would do a modern re-make of the film. For those unfamiliar with the story, it features a localFor the 30th anniversary of Dustin Hoffman's classic film, Straw Dogs, the studio decided instead of re-releasing a special edition, that they would do a modern re-make of the film. For those unfamiliar with the story, it features a local girl, from a small Mississippi town, who has returned home with her new husband, after making it big in Hollywood. Once back in town, the new couple needs some work on the old farm that she inherited and hire an old friend of hers to do the job. The team is the most qualified in town, but right from the start you can see the tension starting to build. Straw Dogs is far from being a unique story, but what I really enjoyed about it was how methodical it was. The jealousy and tension are obvious from the start, but they build it slowly, through a serious of events, which lends credibility to both sides of the argument. Things continue to build right up until the end of the film when all hell breaks loose, thanks to an incident that really shouldn't involve either the workers or the couple. James Marsden and Kate Bosworth star and are both very good, but the star that shines the brightest is Alexander Skarsgard. I've never seen him in anything before and had no expectations about the kind of job he'd do and I was blown away. He really had to play two different roles in this film and it leads to some shocking and unexpected moments. Comparing the 2011 re-make to the original film, the stories are very similar, whoever I found in parts where the original was a little slow, the re-make turns up the intensity, and that's the way things should be. A lot of re-makes don't even compare to the original and are seldom better, but in this case it was. The producers looked back at the old film and enhanced the parts of the original that were too slow or didn't make a whole lot of sense, before modernizing the whole thing. There are some people who will never admit to liking a re-make, but I think with Straw Dogs, the producers took a good film and turned it into a great one.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
TTW107Apr 21, 2012
I went into this with very low expectations and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Seeing the first hour or so I didn't think it was going to turn into anything interesting at all. But the last half hour or so makes up for it all. I loveI went into this with very low expectations and I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Seeing the first hour or so I didn't think it was going to turn into anything interesting at all. But the last half hour or so makes up for it all. I love seeing the good people win in style. Style=Bear Trap.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
Sheldonc1981Sep 29, 2012
I think it had a great story line. I didn't get to see the first five minutes, but the rest was great. Slow beginning, though (which is typical). I thought would be another stupid movie, but I was incorrect. It is an amazing tale you have to see.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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0
GlitterAug 30, 2013
The Mississippi River runs red with the blood, as that's the menstrual blood of a glorified rape to the tune of beloved misogyny How lovely to be raped by Alexander Skarsgård, and have it glorified in a scene where the act or what should haveThe Mississippi River runs red with the blood, as that's the menstrual blood of a glorified rape to the tune of beloved misogyny How lovely to be raped by Alexander Skarsgård, and have it glorified in a scene where the act or what should have been vile perversion, was portrayed as Mackenzie Phillips style "consensual rape". The only redeeming quality of the film is to watch James Woods' ..."deranged" descent into madness due to daddy's little girl being the cliched and misogynist-type casting as the high school slut.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
Meth-dudeMay 1, 2016
This is a good suspense/thriller movie. Everything is building up for that one final over the top third act.Filled with great acting, great suspense, great cinematography and good action scenes, Straw Dogs definitely is a surprisingly good remake.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
bobbytomorowJun 25, 2015
Having not seen the original nor ever hearing of this remake I came across this film by fluke and after reading the premise I decided to give it a watch. After checking out the score on IMDb I wasn't expecting much so I was gladly surprisedHaving not seen the original nor ever hearing of this remake I came across this film by fluke and after reading the premise I decided to give it a watch. After checking out the score on IMDb I wasn't expecting much so I was gladly surprised when I found this movie very well done. It put me on the edge of my seat, there was a foreboding from the moment the couple arrived in town...Yes it started out a little slow but in a good way, the characters and their motives and backgrounds were well fleshed out and by the time the plot began to climax I genuinely was interested in the town, its inhabitants and mostly though I wanted to see the antagonists get some justice served to them.

It did take awhile to gain momentum, the lead actor was not very likable and I found it tough to empathize with him at times (may have been the intent in hindsight) and it was a tad cliché' and predictable, there certainly is nothing new here.

Regardless this movie was enjoyable and thrilling from the outset and I take it the low score here and on IMDb is due to fans of the original unfairly scoring this remake.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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5
bartcbemFeb 4, 2020
Its a basically yet another weird frame by frame retelling of a classic. Not bad, not great either, but still kind of pointless.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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