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Badlands
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Badlands

1973
Drama
Suspense/Thriller
1h 34m
Dramatization of the Starkweather-Fugate killing spree of the 1950's, in which a teenage girl and her twenty-something boyfriend slaughtered her entire family and several others in the Dakota badlands (imdb)
Directed by:
Terrence Malick Terrence Malick
Written by:
Terrence Malick Terrence Malick
Starring:
Sissy Spacek Sissy Spacek Martin Sheen Martin Sheen Charlie Sheen Charlie Sheen Warren Oates Warren Oates Ramon Bieri Alan Vint John Carter Terrence Malick Terrence Malick Bryan Montgomery Gail Threlkeld Charles Fitzpatrick Howard Ragsdale
More
Genres:
Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Crime
Country:
USA
Languages:
English, Spanish
imdb More information at IMDb
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Badlands

1973
Drama
Suspense/Thriller
1h 34m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 71.16% from 3302 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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ocelotOcelot
Rated 27 Sep 2009
80
89th
Honestly, if Martin Sheen seduced me like that, I'd go along with him too.
Rated 27 Sep 2009
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 10 Apr 2009
6
98th
The only Malick film which can be said to have a sense of humor, albeit a deeply strange one, the sort that inspires bewilderment instead of hearty laughter. Yet somehow it hits the same elegiac tone that's defined Malick ever since, and a film which could easily have been, in careless hands, a simple portrait of dimwitted killers on the run becomes something very affecting. A romance built on the shakiest of foundations and doomed to fail somehow becomes heartbreaking even in its inevitability.
Rated 10 Apr 2009
andertonanderton
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
79th
I found a toaster.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
karamazovkaramazov.
Rated 04 Apr 2014
95
99th
Gorgeously perverse, haunting, captivating. For me, this is the director at his greatest-- when Malick wielded a sense of understatement and of the ironic, to go along with his unrelenting detachment and artistic ethic. Like no other I know of, he evokes an overwhelming sense of wonder, while seemingly mourning the mortality of humankind and its society, the planet, and the galaxy, and the brutal indifference of existence. Completely magnificent.
Rated 04 Apr 2014
djrossdjross
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
99th
The greatest crime film of all time (if as I do one excludes TAXI DRIVER from the crime genre, but then again perhaps this should be too), and the first of Malick's quasi-Heideggerian masterpieces. One of the great directorial debuts of all time, along with THE MALTESE FALCON (Huston) and CITIZEN KANE (Welles).
Rated 14 Aug 2007
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 03 Aug 2010
4
74th
"He says 'frog' and I jump." Holly is naive and stupid, allowing herself to be an accessory to Kit's idealic dreams of criminal celebrity and myth (at which he succeeds, interestingly enough). She is of little choice and consequence to the plot, but Malick opts to present things from her perspective, not as if it's about her, but happening to her. Even in his formative years, Malick is adept with landscapes, montage, and music. A very impressive debut.
Rated 03 Aug 2010
magbMagb
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
73rd
Badlands is one of those films where the main characters do really horrible things, but because the film is so well made and the characters are otherwise so likeable, it's impossible not to feel at least a bit sympathetic toward them. Martin Sheen is just perfect and Sissy Spacek is very good too. Malick's expert direction shines through every shot and scene. And the film is a damn sight better than that goddamn Natural Born Killers.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 31 Jan 2009
9
90th
Fact: Terrence Malick should make more films...
Rated 31 Jan 2009
tds4aTds4a
Rated 07 Aug 2009
3
80th
For a film about two amoral killers on the run, it's never actually exciting. Instead it concentrates on capturing a bizarrely beautiful mood. Spacek and Sheen are a fantastic duo, mainly because of how mismatched they are.
Rated 07 Aug 2009
theficionadotheficionado
Rated 31 May 2007
100
97th
Oh! So THIS is what Oliver Stone was trying to do.
Rated 31 May 2007
martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
84th
The sepia-tone newsreel style footage feels out of place, but it's only a minute or two. The cinematography isn't as stunning as his other films, but it definitely has some glorious moments. What struck me most was the attention to the magnificent details of life... a small gesture, a silly joke, admiring the flowers. These little things are the essence of living, and their quiet emphasis serves as condemnation enough of Kit. My least favorite Malick, yes, but one I'd gladly visit again.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
mrandersen10mrandersen10
Rated 31 Jul 2012
85
90th
An incredible film that's easily my favorite of Malick's works. I personally think this blows away the comparatively shallow "Bonnie and Clyde". It is introspective and at the same time non-judgmental towards the misguided couple and the apathetic manner in which they dispatch their victims. All the while, there's a sense of purity and authenticity to the proceedings.
Rated 31 Jul 2012
hawkinsHawkins
Rated 27 May 2016
89
89th
There's something hopeless about the way these two lovebirds on the lam wistfully romanticize their flight, and something haunting in the choice to film all the murder with matter-of-fact static-cam and no prescribed emotion - no angry acting, no sad acting. At most they seem despondent and detached from it, all their passions reserved for a slow dance against the empty darkness.
Rated 27 May 2016
afx237viafx237vi
Rated 23 May 2012
90
95th
A depiction of a life without reason or consequence, only existence. Youthful aimlessness leads to a life of corruption and a loss of innocence, yet both characters remain gleefully oblivious to this fact. For them there is no "why?". The lightness of tone and the use of upbeat music doesn't quite blot out the sense of sadness that permeates this film.
Rated 23 May 2012
chadisdangerchadisdanger
Rated 03 Feb 2008
89
94th
Malick's first, and it feels at times like he's trying to find what works for him. But all the same this is a very accomplished debut. This would be lurid subject matter in lesser hands but Malick understands the great sadness and fairytale delusions that underpin this kind of narrative, creating a strange and haunting story of disturbed youth lost in their own mythology.
Rated 03 Feb 2008
pickpocketPickpocket
Rated 04 Jul 2008
8
82nd
Beautiful is an understatement.
Rated 04 Jul 2008
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 13 Jun 2008
99
99th
Holy fucking shit, rewatching this post-Tree of Life/To the Wonder... this is like a completely different filmmaker. Look, i love "new" Malick (way more than most people) but this is just incredible in an entirely different way. How did i not realize earlier that there's as much proto-Hal Hartley in this as there is in mid-80s Godard? It's as if somewhere during his twenty year hiatus Malick forgot that irony could serve a constructive, positive purpose in narrative art.
Rated 13 Jun 2008
billyshearsBillyShears
Rated 13 Jul 2013
100
98th
The opening credits. The stereopticon sequence. That shot of them dancing in the dirt with Kitt's clean boots and Holly's bare blistered feet. OTHER STUFF. The best debut. Without it we wouldn't have Nebraska ya'll. ~
Rated 13 Jul 2013
davidkahaneDavidKahane
Rated 21 Jul 2008
99
98th
A striking visual tone poem of troubled discontent; it captures spiritual desperation in a way that is equal parts moving and engrossing. Evocative, elegant images are Malick's trademark and they're in full evidence here. Unlike others who aspire to match his resplendent compositions, Malick's efforts never feel needlessly showy. They're always organic, integral to the storytelling. They build the mood in tandem with the delicate writing and the focused, fervent performances by Spacek and Sheen.
Rated 21 Jul 2008
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 01 Oct 2007
91
95th
Very stylish and captivating. Although the story is not really complex and the characters shouldn't be likeable, the great acting and directing draw you in.
Rated 01 Oct 2007
staryarabbistaryarabbi
Rated 04 Sep 2015
80
79th
A meditative search for meaning in an existentialist way which gives you the feeling that it's a slow paced experience eventhough it's not a slow movie. Mallick as an uncompromising romantic tries to follow his characters in an impressionistic manner and depict not only them but also the nature around them "beyond good and evil".
Rated 04 Sep 2015
lexlex
Rated 17 Dec 2012
95
91st
It's incredible how all of Malick's trademark, awesome directorial qualities were already in his debut picture. To call Badlands his most simple and least ambitious film would be accurate, I suppose, but you could also argue it's his most flawlessly constructed story. And I continue to be amazed how a movie about a murderous sociopath leaves me with a big smile on my face.
Rated 17 Dec 2012
omgfridgeomgfridge
Rated 25 Oct 2009
11
99th
I once wrote a critique that spanned many pages on Badlands. I no longer have it but the main point was that this is greatness.
Rated 25 Oct 2009
zayankZayanK
Rated 09 May 2011
90
84th
Adam and Eve gone wild.
Rated 09 May 2011
kasperlKasperL
Rated 04 Sep 2011
70
65th
It's pretty good (emphasis on pretty).
Rated 04 Sep 2011
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 09 Oct 2007
45
33rd
Badlands fits snugly into that rather provocative category of the "romantic serial-killers movie". It's not as moronic and tasteless as Natural Born Killers nor is it as thoughtful and inspired as The Honeymoon Killers. I'd describe it as being watchable and cinematically proficient yet shallow, somewhat pointless and a bit juvenile, placing it on par with Bonnie and Clyde. The musical score here is consistently unsuitable for whatever's happening onscreen.
Rated 09 Oct 2007
knuthknuth
Rated 14 Feb 2013
90
96th
"It sent a chill down my spine and I thought where would I be this very moment, if Kit had never met me?" An existential masterpiece.
Rated 14 Feb 2013
paradigmaParadigma
Rated 03 Jul 2009
80
89th
He sure looks like James Dean!
Rated 03 Jul 2009
susie_mauvesusie-mauve
Rated 22 Mar 2017
97
98th
Such an eerie experience. Malick's visual poetics unwind so beautifully, you get a great glimpse of the themes and motifs that he's employed in most of his following films. Spacek is mind blowing, she manages to perfectly portray this detached, passive & almost alien-like teenage girl, while Sheen is perfect in the shoes of the reinvented compulsive "rebel-without-a-cause". Watching it and thinking of all the more-modern-films that tribute it, i realised just how seminal this masterpiece was.
Rated 22 Mar 2017
anomalyAnomaly
Rated 03 Feb 2011
89
93rd
Bizarre and enjoyable. Its tone and attitude towards the violence differentiates it from pretty much all other films like it, and it's brilliantly acted. Strong debut from Malick.
Rated 03 Feb 2011
johnsandwichJohnSandwich
Rated 02 Jan 2011
90
95th
Style and substance. Martin Sheen really shines here, as does Spacek. Excellent.
Rated 02 Jan 2011
drawkward86drawkward86
Rated 19 Jan 2011
99
98th
Practically perfect. Martin Sheen as Kit is easily one of my top few screen performances of all time, if not in a class by itself. The fact that Malick had already found his voice so distinctly without a single feature film to his credit is awe-inspiring; his instinct to eschew symbolism in favor of mere observation, and to refuse to judge his main characters, is perfectly tuned, and his visual style, while sometimes epically breathtaking, finds its voice in the details.
Rated 19 Jan 2011
kavuKavu
Rated 07 Feb 2011
84
83rd
Great lead role from Sheen and brilliant directing from Malick. I liked the non-judgmental take on the story.
Rated 07 Feb 2011
backwardsuitbackwardsuit
Rated 12 Nov 2014
88
95th
I found a toaster.
Rated 12 Nov 2014
mwgerbmwgerb
Rated 12 Mar 2011
64
75th
Kit is quite an individual.
Rated 12 Mar 2011
billkerwinbillkerwin
Rated 26 Jan 2010
97
97th
One of the best uses of voice over in films. A strange, poetic, haunting film, beautifully directed. Sheen and Spacek are very, very good here.
Rated 26 Jan 2010
redactedredacted
Rated 19 Dec 2012
83
79th
I don't know if it's sympathy you feel for the characters. Passing judgement on the simple and plain Holly isn't worth while, she is young, stupid and naive. Kit is young, in love and empty at the same time. They both know the consequences of what they are doing, but they keep doing it while it lasts. The film portrays this in a slow reality and simple voice-over. They both knew it would end, they both just give up in the end. Is Malick saying how little life and consequence mean?
Rated 19 Dec 2012
nobletNoblet
Rated 05 May 2011
84
81st
I expected this to be a lot darker and grittier than it actually was, since it is a early 70's crime movie. But the film just has such a strange, almost cheery atmosphere. I think it's the music and beautiful landscapes that makes the film a calm, casual experience. I liked it a lot.
Rated 05 May 2011
bhajansunlobhajansunlo
Rated 20 Mar 2018
88
97th
Every shot in the film captures the sense of wonder and the film seems to be as much about the magic of American landscape as it is about the aloofness of the runaway couple. The loneliness of both Holly and Kit are palpable.
Rated 20 Mar 2018
zspyryzspyry
Rated 29 Nov 2012
10
99th
I consider this my favorite movie (for no objective reason). It just clicked with me on an emotional level. But even looking past my own bias, this film is masterfully made, and criminally overlooked.
Rated 29 Nov 2012
dardandardan
Rated 16 Sep 2015
96
98th
In Malickian logic, Kitt, or nature, murders her father figuratively and literally. The force of grace can move beyond it: together they abscond into a night unmentioned. In their trail are law, order, culture that cant catch them. Dancing in a forest, kissing a tree hut, they write a tale of origins.
Rated 16 Sep 2015
3against43against4
Rated 10 May 2010
96
88th
Martin Sheen gives one of the great all-time film performances as the charmingly self-effacing sociopath Kit Carruthers. Narrated sleepily by the perfectly blank-faced Sissy Spacek, Badlands is a haunting, sprawling masterpiece that is determined not to judge its two lead characters and, with control astonishing for a first-time director, succeeds completely. Malick is already in almost total control of the hypnotic style that has become his trademark and makes him my favorite director.
Rated 10 May 2010
jswinderjswinder
Rated 21 Feb 2018
91
96th
I'll kiss your ass if he don't look like James Dean...
Rated 21 Feb 2018
vertigo2120vertigo2120
Rated 30 Jan 2011
75
18th
Badlands is expertly crafted, but besides the monotone and matter of fact voiceover of Sissy Spacek, there's no insight into the characters and little feeling expressed, which made the film extremely flat for me.
Rated 30 Jan 2011
deaddillydeaddilly
Rated 30 Jun 2016
85
84th
You can watch Malick in reverse chronological order and still find evolution. I'll be forever grateful that I have at least one 'storyteller' film from Malick; if for nothing else than to get a different perspective of his visionary genius.
Rated 30 Jun 2016
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 01 Mar 2007
85
98th
Brilliant
Rated 01 Mar 2007
pompousasspompousass
Rated 14 Aug 2009
40
71st
Malick's re-examination of the Charles Starkweather case is conducted under antiseptic laboratory conditions. A homicidal maniac, who does an uncanny James Dean impression in T-shirt and cowboy boots, and his baton-twirler girlfriend, take flight, cross-country; but they find themselves continually penned into arty, desolate compositions and saddled with inane things to say. "We should crush our hands with this rock so we'll remember this day always." "Wouldn't it hurt?"
Rated 14 Aug 2009
ecitizeneCitizen
Rated 10 Dec 2012
70
70th
Beautiful, stunning, shocking. Excellent performances, and the scenery shots are inspired. A bad boy taken the the ultimate extreme, and a subservient, ignorant girl escaping her dull life. Scary stuff for real.
Rated 10 Dec 2012
k177105k177105
Rated 27 Feb 2020
96
94th
About the struggle of freedom that constantly and unavoidably slips into non-existence. Memorable for this viewer in many senses. Fantastic to have had the chance to watch it at a cinema.
Rated 27 Feb 2020
ieuandpIeuanDP
Rated 22 Apr 2016
80
76th
You barely get to see beyond the naive utopia of Kit and Holly's life on the run, and the dark undercurrent of it is left to the imagination. Kit's killing spree feels numb and impulsive, while this is juxtaposed with its glamorisation from the outside. Against barren landscapes, Terrence Malick paints a distant portrait of two people seemingly devoid of socialisation and totally removed from reality, but without any surrealism.
Rated 22 Apr 2016
icarusIcarus
Rated 22 Oct 2007
90
89th
Following the exploits of a teenage girl and her older, murderous boyfriend, Malick's film charts the movement from purity and innocence to sin and death. What is most brilliant though is in the mature use of voice-over narration, which reveals a concurrent journey within the mind of the girl, who moves from being a star-struck teenie-bopper to a hardened skeptic about the one she loves most. The increasingly dark and stark imagery traces these thematic threads visually.
Rated 22 Oct 2007
eveeluneveelun
Rated 13 Mar 2008
80
78th
Offbeat drama has a contemplative and wistful tone that elevates it beyond the "youths on crime spree" sordidness that so many other films indulge in (and many characters in this film, besides Sheen and Spacek, focus on).
Rated 13 Mar 2008
bofbof
Rated 16 Nov 2011
90
97th
Why did anyone bother making Natural Born Killers when this was already around? All else aside, one of the best uses of a voice-over narrator ever.
Rated 16 Nov 2011
beejBeej
Rated 13 May 2010
95
94th
Absolutely mesmeric whilst removed from its coldly delivered violence. The two central performances from Sheen and Spacek are top notch as well, with Kit being a charismatic, fascinating character, although he is a figure of youthful rebellion and is frequently compared to James Dean, contradictory elements in his character mean that he is not at all stereotypical. Malick's cinematography is not as clean as in later films, but the rough quality adds to Badlands. Close to TTRL for my fave Malick
Rated 13 May 2010
paulofilmopaulofilmo
Rated 22 Apr 2008
76
96th
Where I began.
Rated 22 Apr 2008
optimusmikeOptimus_mike
Rated 23 Nov 2008
85
80th
Very well done on all parts.
Rated 23 Nov 2008
damildamil
Rated 15 Jan 2012
75
81st
The whole thing was a bit strange in a way I couldn't quite pinpoint. Something in the atmosphere. It seemed unrealistic, which is odd, considering it's based on true events. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it.
Rated 15 Jan 2012
peyrinpeyrin
Rated 05 Aug 2018
85
90th
Narration is a bit pretentious at times but it's incredible to watch Malick turn the Dakota wilderness into his own personal wild west.
Rated 05 Aug 2018
onomatopizzaonomatopizza
Rated 02 Oct 2015
92
70th
Terrence hadn't yet decided on only whispers.
Rated 02 Oct 2015
cinematicespCinematicESP
Rated 06 Jan 2008
82
59th
Such an likeably unlikeable protagonist, played to perfection by Martin Sheen. Also great use of Gassenhauer.
Rated 06 Jan 2008
yesistastyyesistasty
Rated 27 Sep 2015
98
97th
Very offbeat script, full of strange naivete and understatement. Every time I watch this film, I love it even more. A remarkably complete vision.
Rated 27 Sep 2015
ronthedogronthedog
Rated 12 Apr 2009
85
82nd
This film is all about the soundtrack. Beautifully shot with a surreal quality that you can't help feeling is deliberate.
Rated 12 Apr 2009
elysian_airElysian Air
Rated 25 Sep 2012
98
95th
When Kit meets Holly for the first time there's nothing noteworthy about their encounter except for Kit's calm, beguiling exterior. As Holly later says, it's funny how you can know someone and never really know them. One of Malick's key strengths, especially with Badlands, is narrative elision; we drift quite serenely in and out of Kit and Holly's violent fairy tale, never clashing with reality but observing it as a curiosity, like some quaint intrusion in a peaceful meditation.
Rated 25 Sep 2012
neonmanNeonman
Rated 27 Nov 2010
87
86th
Serial killers this charismatic and this banal about their own doings always seem so interesting to me. Because of this, do they deserve more sympathy?
Rated 27 Nov 2010
boredomsboredoms
Rated 26 Jul 2010
93
98th
Strange and beautiful and disturbing and, above all, tonally fascinating. Not quite like any other film I've seen.
Rated 26 Jul 2010
inhmninhmn
Rated 18 Jan 2009
98
80th
the biggest of the movie is it's pace and calmness.
Rated 18 Jan 2009
hellboy76hellboy76
Rated 09 Aug 2014
88
97th
An amazing debut from Malick, beautifully filmed. The haunting carelessness of youth corrupted is on display, sometimes meandering, sometimes with a stunning pace. Sheen and Spacek are superb.
Rated 09 Aug 2014
x_humanx-human
Rated 10 Nov 2013
89
92nd
In chemistry you can take two innate elements and put them under the right amount of pressure causing an explosion. That's what Malick has captured near perfectly here. Sometimes the most startling crimes happen only because two people meet; either one could have lived out their lives quietly as productive members of society. Instead the right series of circumstances unraveled causing these characters to act in accordance with their natures. Highly Recommended.
Rated 10 Nov 2013
obdurateObdurate
Rated 28 Jul 2008
70
41st
I might be a minority here but I'm not such a fan. I think like all of Malick's films, it's well made and interesting, but it fails to pull me in completely. I'm always almost there but not quite, except for a part or two.
Rated 28 Jul 2008
nepetaNepeta
Rated 06 Apr 2020
100
99th
The house aflame serving as the most haunting and literal death of innocence. Both Kit and Holly are incredibly naive, and that they seem suited for each other's company in this regard is damning of Kit. There is no romance in their interactions, though Holly's narration indicates a romantic longing. As the run continues they become more and more detached from society, instead surrounded by wilderness and darkness; a palpable loneliness, even in each other's company.
Rated 06 Apr 2020
closedmouthclosedmouth
Rated 13 Jan 2013
80
68th
I found the glib delivery and emotional detachment irritating until it became clear it was deliberate, but even then it smacked of "kids these days" from Malick. I was expecting a tone similar to Days of Heaven, so the quick pace was a little weird, but I was into the rhythm by the end. I did enjoy it.
Rated 13 Jan 2013
desertpunkDesertPunk
Rated 17 Mar 2014
78
69th
The most amazing thing about Badlands is simply that Malick pulled it off. Normal people can't juggle this style, this cast, and this script and catch it before it crumples to the ground, but he certainly can.
Rated 17 Mar 2014
fichincefi_chince
Rated 16 Mar 2011
65
18th
Cinematography was beautiful. I had a hard time getting into the story because I didn't understand the character motivations. You could say that the point is that they had no motivations, which may be true, but doesn't make it interesting for me.
Rated 16 Mar 2011
catscandalCatScandal
Rated 23 Jan 2011
54
61st
martin sheen is perfect, but i didn't feel like the film took full advantage of that
Rated 23 Jan 2011
derekstarDerekstar
Rated 22 Jul 2011
70
50th
Badlands seems to be a sort of response to Bonnie and Clyde. While I intellectually understood the importance and the impact of Bonnie and Clyde, that film failed to move me for some unknown reason. While I would argue that Badlands is a superior movie, I kind of had a similar reaction. I get it, I see what it's doing, but I'm a unmoved by it. I'll say this though: I had a similar reaction to Taxi Driver after seeing it for the first time. Repeated viewings yielded greater appreciation.
Rated 22 Jul 2011
sourheartsourheart
Rated 19 Oct 2018
3
36th
Watched a while ago - good entrance into how dark it gets
Rated 19 Oct 2018
zmoatszmoats
Rated 08 Feb 2018
96
97th
The beauty of the Badlands in its quiet. Speak softly and carry a big stick. While the film itself is anything but soft, its dialogue is sparse. It constantly feels like its on the verge - especially in the last third - of telling you some big secret but it just never quite gets there. Malick doesn't want to tell you why, because maybe sometimes there is no why.
Rated 08 Feb 2018
rebeccalexrebeccalex
Rated 30 Jun 2016
85
85th
Another film of Malick's with some outstanding shots. Interesting to watch after viewing his more recent films.
Rated 30 Jun 2016
ceekay19Ceekay19
Rated 28 Mar 2019
70
53rd
Holly Sargis: "One day, while taking a look at some vistas in Dad's stereopticon, it hit me that I was just this little girl, born in Texas, whose father was a sign painter, who only had just so many years to live. It sent a chill down my spine and I thought where would I be this very moment, if Kit had never met me? Or killed anybody... this very moment..."
Rated 28 Mar 2019
zoranZoran
Rated 30 Nov 2020
83
81st
American movie at its best.
Rated 30 Nov 2020
buffratingsbuffratings
Rated 15 Apr 2017
95
96th
Impeccably acted, written and shot, Badlands remains one of the finest directorial debuts of all time.
Rated 15 Apr 2017
judo_koalaJudo Koala
Rated 01 Jul 2017
85
90th
"I sensed that my destiny now lay with Kit, for better or for worse, and it was better to spend a week with one who loved me for what I was than years of loneliness."
Rated 01 Jul 2017
lintonmyroxylintonmyroxy
Rated 18 Mar 2020
93
98th
I think this just changed my mind about the death penalty. Kit was way too bright a light for the chair
Rated 18 Mar 2020
carsonwidCarsonWid
Rated 29 Apr 2011
81
89th
reminded me of Pierrot le fou. Sheen was brilliant is the lead role and although the entire film was quite beautiful, Sheen carried the film.
Rated 29 Apr 2011
filliganFilligan
Rated 23 Dec 2009
84
55th
Badlands is a queer film at best. In the beginning its strange atmosphere seemed to emotionally disconnect me from everything happening; it felt very lifeless and sterile. Once our main characters are on the move, however, it becomes increasingly enjoyable, thankfully with the same odd score maintaining its original tone. Martin Sheen is all kinds of fantastic.
Rated 23 Dec 2009
hsncrspywlhsncrspywl
Rated 19 Feb 2013
90
89th
Strong debut from Terrence Malick. You can see bits and pieces of his narrative and cinematographic style forming here, while still keeping a relatively straightforward plot. Hazy and dreamlike, but never too stuck in evoking a time and place, this film focuses more on juxtaposing 1) the horror of the crimes committed and the naive romance between the protagonists and 2) our characters and their lives against the American landscape. Fantastic cinematography, as you would expect.
Rated 19 Feb 2013
stainStain
Rated 26 Mar 2007
50
33rd
Ho-hum.
Rated 26 Mar 2007
juntakinte99juntakinte99
Rated 08 Dec 2020
90
83rd
It makes sense that Malick's first film also became the template for all his future work. Like in his later filmography, here he's ruminative on how to re-invent a piece of American mythology for a cinematic telling. And that comes connected to his standard poetic photography, voice-over narration, and editing. His later films aren't as tight--either in a narrative storytelling or in performances--but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. This is easily one of the best debut films of all time.
Rated 08 Dec 2020
aflickeringAFlickering
Rated 15 Jun 2013
8
98th
when i watched this as a teenager i don't think i realised it was a comedy as much as anything else. these days i laugh my way through a lot of that first hour. i still don't really like the epilogue though, lays on the irony a little too thick (whereas the end of DAYS OF HEAVEN is fucking perfect).
Rated 15 Jun 2013
tonydaltonydal
Rated 07 Jun 2008
60
21st
Awfully stylized. Red's VOs are frequently clunky and annoying--and out of place; she sounds like she's reading from an assignment. Some peculiar musical moments as well. The whole thing made me think of True Romance if it had been produced by Simon & Garfunkel.
Rated 07 Jun 2008
jordandcfcJordanDcFc
Rated 23 Jan 2012
85
81st
Martin Sheen was amazing in this, you never really know what's going on inside his head. Great wide shots of the landscape and the nonchalance of each killing really make this a creepy, perplexing experience.
Rated 23 Jan 2012
mattorama12mattorama12
Rated 23 May 2012
71
64th
Impressive filmmaking and performances. My only problem was that the first hour or so seemed to drag on a bit. I did love Spacek's complacency and Sheen's casual demeanor. And the final 30 minutes are really great
Rated 23 May 2012
prowlerprowler
Rated 23 Mar 2017
76
77th
base extremes of the human condition, beautifully exposed. loved the (hyper)natural approach, showing the layers of cruelty and adaptation that humans, as part of nature, are capable of
Rated 23 Mar 2017
picklemanPickle_Man
Rated 17 Jun 2018
95
87th
Went in expecting top-notch landscapes, left surprised and impressed by Martin Sheen.
Rated 17 Jun 2018
jschlanskyJSchlansky
Rated 15 May 2021
77
70th
I now know where Hans Zimmer ripped the soundtrack to True Romance from
Rated 15 May 2021
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 23 May 2011
80
85th
Malick's crafts a mesmerizing New Hollywood film -- one the best cinematographies of that decade --, but without cynicism or a bitter look on America of those days, I guess. A brilliant debut.
Rated 23 May 2011
ehk2ehk2
Rated 07 Jan 2012
50
67th
I couldn't find here anything special to deserve the status of a 'cult'. frankly, i prefer and like 'natural born killers' more.
Rated 07 Jan 2012
launchLaunch
Rated 16 Sep 2010
87
87th
Although it's Malick's first film he sets the cornerstone for his future films with some absolutely gorgeous shots. Reminiscent of "Bonnie and Clyde"
Rated 16 Sep 2010
gabygaby
Rated 17 Dec 2011
78
77th
Everyone loves a good film about a couple on a crime spree. This one includes more murder than Bonnie & Clyde ever did. Worth watching for the moral ambiguity alone. Sissy Spacek and Martin Sheen are both wonderful in their respective roles. This is one of Malick's earlier works.
Rated 17 Dec 2011
natebarriosnatebarrios
Rated 06 Jun 2017
70
58th
uniquely beautiful... I'm afraid to write any criticism for fear that Martin Sheen will shoot me
Rated 06 Jun 2017

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