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ESSENTIAL KILLINGMovie Reviews
Thriller about an Afghani soldier who escapes his American captors, but then must struggle to survive in a foreign, wintry landscape. Cast:Vincent Gallo, Emmanuelle SeignerDirector:Jerzy SkolimowskiRelease Date:December 3, 2010DVD Release:July 11, 2011Length:1 hr 23 min
Essential Killing played in limited release to very good reviews. • Rick Groen wrote in the Toronto Globe & Mail, "By turns sententious and searing, it's a maddening film about man's madness – not easy to like but even harder to ignore." • And Fernando F. Croce wrote for Slant, "...relentless... a furious, pared-down parable enriched by Skolimowski's sardonic understanding..." More Reviews Below...
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a pure, elemental story... It reminds us that man, like any animal, fights for life with all of his will, and will do whatever is, yes, essential."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 701 words, 11/18/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (5 Reviews)
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski defies a slew of cinematic conventions in an attempt to intrigue, rattle and rivet his audience. For the most part, he succeeds."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 237 words, 12/03/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a pure, elemental story... It reminds us that man, like any animal, fights for life with all of his will, and will do whatever is, yes, essential."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 701 words, 11/18/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: VERY GOOD(cg) "...an eye-of-the-beholder experience, using minimalist methods to maximum effect... existential thriller illustrating how violence begets violence."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 482 words, 03/30/11
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "By turns sententious and searing, it's a maddening film about man's madness - not easy to like but even harder to ignore."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 681 words, 04/01/11
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...takes place almost entirely in the moment.... Gallo disappears into his wild-eyed, inarticulate character, a shell of a man reduced to his most basic instincts..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 216 words, 03/31/11
KEY CITIES (0 Reviews)
Essential Killing has not been reviewed in Key Cities
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (2 Reviews)
Fernando F. Croce, Slant: EXCELLENT(cg) "...relentless... a furious, pared-down parable enriched by Skolimowski's sardonic understanding of man's desperation forever alternating between prey and predator."(See all of Fernando F. Croce's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 197 words, 09/15/10
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...takes place almost entirely in the moment.... Gallo disappears into his wild-eyed, inarticulate character, a shell of a man reduced to his most basic instincts..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 216 words, 03/31/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (1 Review)
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski defies a slew of cinematic conventions in an attempt to intrigue, rattle and rivet his audience. For the most part, he succeeds."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 237 words, 12/03/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Leslie Felperin, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...despite skillful assemblage, the script's plausibility issues increasingly undermine engagement, even with the generous argument that the pic is a parable..."(See all of Leslie Felperin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 653 words, 09/06/10
Deborah Young, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "...the political context that gives the film its strong topicality isn't the heart of the story, which plays out more as an adventure tale of man vs. nature."(See all of Deborah Young's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 594 words, 09/08/10
Gary Goldstein, Los Angeles Times: VERY GOOD "Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski defies a slew of cinematic conventions in an attempt to intrigue, rattle and rivet his audience. For the most part, he succeeds."(See all of Gary Goldstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 237 words, 12/03/10
Patrick Z. McGavin, Cinema 24/7: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...disquieting, surreal and politically charged... As filmmaking, as a work of troubling and pure art, 'Essential Killing' is a very impressive and haunting achievement."(See all of Patrick Z. McGavin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 801 words, 10/25/10
14.9 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Essential Killing's reviews are separated by an average 14.9 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Essential Killing (9 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Essential Killing's reviews cover 7.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 4,562 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 507 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 8 Days After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Essential Killing's reviews on average broke 8 days after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Essential Killing's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Essential Killing (9 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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