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Drugstore Cowboy
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Drugstore Cowboy

1989
Drama, Crime
1h 41m
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Avg Percentile 62.18% from 1325 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1325)
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Rated 21 Apr 2007
90
85th
Very realistic, very truthful. Films like this are the reason why it's hard for me to praise at the altar of the hysterical, hyper-dramatic Requiem for a Dream. It's not so much that Requiem for a Dream presents a completely unrealistic situation and this does not, it's more that Drugstore Cowboy doesn't embellish or oversell what it's got. The film just tells the story and lets the viewer decide how to feel about it.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
91st
Classic Van Sant, and the high point of Dillon's career. A straightforward, unpretentious, thoroughly intriguing human drama.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
96
98th
There's nothing especially great I can say about Drugstore Cowboy. It's just one of those movies that I keep coming back to, it somehow fits me right. I like the tone, the language, the characters, the pace. It's like a comfortable old shirt to me. It tells the story without judgement, without glorifying or demonizing, but rather depicting addiction as a matter-of-fact element of these characters' lives. It's also Dillon's finest role, and having Burroughs doesn't hurt anything either.
Rated 14 Oct 2007
8
82nd
Most people don't know how they're gonna feel from one moment to the next. But a dope fiend has a pretty good idea. All you gotta do is look at the labels on the little bottles.
Rated 29 Oct 2008
91
82nd
Very realistic, truthful and edgy in its potrayal of junkies. Very unpretenious, and this is no doubt the highpoint of Van Sant's career. Dillion's finest role is to be found here also, and the plotline is very flavorful. I couldn't really find anything really wrong with this other than the pacing. Marvelous movie.
Rated 31 Mar 2007
90
86th
Unique, flavorful adventure story featuring a bunch of thieving drug-addict heroes. A really unique contribution to American cinema
Rated 14 Aug 2007
93
91st
Marvelous characterization and maintains its feel throughout.
Rated 31 May 2008
70
56th
Looking back on it nowadays, it all seems a bit naive in its portrayals of junkies, but it still manages to hold up as a good film, thanks to the interesting characterizations and the visual flair of its director.
Rated 23 Jan 2009
100
99th
Rarely is there a movie that does not invite one in, but grabs you and thrusts you into a world you did not know or care about. This unflawed movie about some of the most flawed people on earth will not let you look away.
Rated 17 Mar 2009
83
82nd
Fascinating, completely credible look at the world of a junkie and his "family". No preaching or moralizing here, which is precisely what gives the film its impact. Standout performances, particularly from Dillon and Lynch.
Rated 11 Mar 2010
91
86th
Matt Dillon is great and Van Sant's direction is superb. I like the way these drug addicts--as untrustworthy and flawed as they are--constitute a family, and it's good seeing everybody's favorite grandpa William Burroughs in a small role. And remember . . . never throw your hat on the bed!
Rated 28 Jun 2011
90
90th
Re-watching this classic I'm often surprised at when it was made. It's still far funnier and less self-important than any other movie I've seen since about drugs and junkies. Yet it also manages to be more accurate and not a bit preachy. Directed by Gus Van Sant, its visuals are playful and inventive -- Darren Aronofsky wishes he could come up with half of Van Sant's ideas and that's why he was smart enough to steal them. Also,it benefits from having a real junkie on board -- Bill Burroughs.
Rated 26 Mar 2016
82
79th
The flights of fancy don't always work, but what does work are the performances, especially Dillon's seemingly effortless turn as the lead. I also have to give it credit for avoiding a manipulative ending and going instead for a far more powerful one with a strong emotional resonance. Burroughs as the "Priest" is great for a laugh.
Rated 20 Feb 2018
75
53rd
Dillon's character was incredibly sympathetic. The film lost me briefly due to the pacing, but when it works it works admirably... and it works most of the time. Even though drug flicks don't resonate with me, from what I understand this is pretty realistic; it doesn't ham it up, go to any extremes. Some of the dialogue is exceptional, compelling stuff. Burroughs was a welcome addition even if the role was tiny. Good direction. Not absolutely in love with it but definitely worth a watch.
Rated 01 Jan 2019
73
78th
(SPOILER ALERT): The main junkies look a bit too preened to be real bonafide addicts, and the scenes with Burroughs are too on the nose, but Van Sant balances drama and humour in a satisfying way that never seems out of wack or forced like it does in many of his other films. Dillon gives a very sincere performance, and he is well supported by Lynch in a rare good turn. Van Sant never glamorizes their lifestyle, nor does he overdramatize Dillon's recovery, which plays out in rather sombre tones.
Rated 03 Jan 2007
74
52nd
Há 30 anos estreava no Toronto International Film Festival. Eu gostava mais desse filme quando era mais jovem, todos esses filmes sobre drogadição são mais interessantes quando você ainda tá nas fissuras das drogas, quando você deixa de se identificar eles perdem um pouco do brilho. Plus: Burroughs, é claro! DVD Obras-primas do cinema (mas ainda tenho o VHS).
Rated 03 Mar 2007
75
89th
Great film.A personal favourite.
Rated 23 Aug 2007
72
72nd
Very Good
Rated 16 Sep 2007
70
63rd
Effective drama
Rated 15 Dec 2007
88
83rd
I'm a sucker for love stories with elements of addiction or criminal acts. This film provides that in spades with probably Dillon's best acting role to date.
Rated 11 Feb 2008
58
17th
Interesting, I guess. Dillon's good. Don't think I'd go out of my way to watch it again.
Rated 06 Apr 2008
95
82nd
Darkly engaging tale told with sheer expertise by Van Sant and played to the 'nth ' degree by all involved!
Rated 21 Apr 2008
89
91st
"Awesome!" indeed. I'm not a Dillon fan at all, and I still enjoy him in this. Also a great juicy little role for James Remar, who steals the show in every scene. And this will always be the role I think of when I think of Heather Graham. The production design and particularly the soundtrack are outstanding, and make it feel quite authentic. Also, I don't know if it was deliberate, but this movie seems like Midnight Cowboy in reverse.
Rated 29 Apr 2008
80
84th
this movie is not as edgy as I had thought it would be, which is why I avoided it. Very realistic, and not too overly stylized
Rated 02 Jun 2008
89
96th
matt dillon does a good job as a junkie in this movie. it has a fantastic ending.
Rated 27 Jan 2009
89
40th
NO HATS ON THE BED!
Rated 11 Apr 2010
88
92nd
Great movie
Rated 07 Sep 2010
54
71st
#90s(e)#, story, Heather G, M Dillon.
Rated 26 Dec 2010
89
89th
89.000
Rated 06 Jul 2011
72
80th
Has issues with pacing, but overall a great film.
Rated 21 Aug 2011
97
0th
A favorite of mine. dark. Great insight into a different life style.
Rated 26 Nov 2011
65
57th
Burroughs cameo! Matt Dillon being cutely decadent. Gus Van Sant being an anemic director.
Rated 17 Dec 2011
65
47th
Burroughs cameo - a priest! Matt Dillon being cutely decadent. Gus Van Sant being an anemic director.
Rated 10 Mar 2012
79
72nd
Underdog, Charles Bukowski, Barfly
Rated 24 Jun 2012
84
87th
This film has a really good script and some interesting choices from the director Gus Van Sant. The plot involves a group of people who rob drug stores to feed their drug habits. Matt Dillon is good in the lead role and there is also good work by a young Heather Graham.
Rated 09 Jul 2012
87
72nd
Matt Dilon leads the pack of very good performances in this film about a group of junkies.
Rated 19 Jul 2012
85
59th
Matt Dillon is fantastic, Heather Graham is great, Kelly Lynch got on my nerves a bit. I really liked the overall aesthetic, like the great production design and good jazzy score. It's a really good script, too. Funny, sometimes scary, sometimes depressing.
Rated 01 Aug 2012
82
59th
A drama about junkies can ostensibly only come in three acts. The first act showing the junkies in their natural habitat, then the second act consisting of the junkies in conflict, then the final act showing the junkies and their redemption. Drugstore Cowboy follows this basic arc by the numbers. It's also one of the few that actually do so with ease and style. It even has a perfectly appropriate William S. Burroughs cameo at the end.
Rated 02 Dec 2012
73
88th
Van Sant is pretty good at making underbelly dwellers sympathetic and interesting. The most interesting part is that it really seems to sit back as a casual observer without preaching or cramming the downside down your throat. Only real drawback is Kelly Lynch.
Rated 28 Feb 2013
70
70th
The story picks up in the middle of a crime spree used to support the drug habits of 4 people. The leader is a hardened criminal and long time junkie. Together with his girlfriend and a young couple in training, they stage daytime robberies of pharmacies and hospital drug supply cabinets. They manage to evade police arrests and continue their junkie lifestyle. Eventually consequences mount and the leader attempts to go straight, but living a normal life is harder than it might seem.
Rated 24 Apr 2013
9
90th
Dreary and clear-eyed. It's a good story about people on the margin who rather be chained to their habit than to the regular demands of society. Of course, either way they're chained.
Rated 28 Jul 2013
84
77th
wouldn't put it amongst the best films I've seen, nor does the subject matter resonate with me, but the film's execution and tone are pitch perfect. Dillon is sympathetic without ever being excusable and the film's comic touch heightens, rather than obscures, the darkness that envelops these drug addicts on their escapades.
Rated 07 Oct 2013
87
91st
86.500
Rated 09 Oct 2013
76
53rd
There are moments in the film (especially towards the end) that really get to me. The whole film isn't like this, but it's still good. The cop character was weird -- he starts off as an out-right asshole, then he becomes a lot nicer all of a sudden. Anyway, should've had more rambling Burroughs in it.
Rated 03 Jan 2014
73
77th
it has sporadic problems across the board, but is still a good watch
Rated 27 Feb 2014
54
42nd
Realistic my ass. It tries for genre all the way, only often not knowing what genre exactly - a bit of outlaw road movie, a bit noir, a bit teen melodrama. The only part that really sticks is the withdrawal one, and even there Van Sant has to insert some indie quirks because straight life is just too damn boring.
Rated 11 Aug 2014
85
68th
While it showcases what is definitely Matt Dillon's best performance, this early personal triumph for Van Sant takes us so deeply into its dog-eared, fly-by-night world that we feel its texture well after it's over. Keep an eye peeled for Bill Burroughs as an old junkie dropping some mighty prophetic lines.
Rated 19 Jan 2016
77
61st
Yup folks, this is where security once was, Heather Graham fakely fake throws a fit & Dillon ducks behind the counter of a pharmacy. Mass-civility comes with the side-effect of a closing fist of access, for better or for worse. Spend close to 2 hours following the lives of some of the best looking junkies that have made the silver screen..Burroughs gets his drug soapbox to stand on for 10 minutes too & is amply rewarded. Points for GVS somehow withholding the urge to throw in a gay shower scene.
Rated 20 Jul 2017
76
84th
Compelling story of how addiction makes the absence of control of our lives more apparent and a salutary lesson in keeping hats off beds.
Rated 24 Jul 2017
70
59th
The great direction pushes the movie towards a very natural construction - the acting, the sequence of events, the way the characters behave, all of this looks very natural, and this is the core point that makes it, overall, a very good work; the narration works beautifully; the use of the first person gives a real perspective about the lifestyle of an addicted person. Great performance by Matt Dillon.
Rated 25 Oct 2017
79
84th
25.10.17
Rated 06 Feb 2018
60
32nd
Accomplished but very flat. Like most drug movies, its characters' behavior is uniformly petty and animalistic. Burroughs' small role is a highlight.
Rated 11 Feb 2018
67
6th
Cheap and cliched movie, with a hackneyed storyline, no character interest and a lumpy message about drugs delivered by William Burroughs who's wasted here
Rated 18 Apr 2018
6
99th
Paramount to a masterpiece.
Rated 22 Feb 2020
85
51st
Dropping drugs through a hole in their car floor would never work because the cop would see them on the road and doing donuts in the parking lot was an infuriatingly stupid "distraction"
Rated 19 Jul 2020
88
47th
This is best viewed while living in Portland Oregon.
Rated 25 Aug 2021
70
56th
A rare junkie character with his own agency and whose addiction isn't treated purely as a disease. A very classy portrayal of sensitive issues. I liked the use of extreme close-ups on everyday objects.
Rated 23 Sep 2021
60
44th
Probably quite a novelty in it's time but feels a little outdated now in it's portrayal of junkies. There were some funny bits though, especially Dillon's hangup about the hat. Kelly Lynch looks like a 2.0 version of Juliette Lewis, I thought it was JL for 30% of the movie. The way I see it, some of the cop-slapstick could have been replaced by more in depth characterization and plot development. But it's the 80's: people falling off ladders was the plat du jour..
Rated 14 Sep 2022
40
3rd
Oregon71+trickcopstogetthemshotatlool+eventuallybarelypaidattention
Rated 04 Apr 2023
88
85th
This is what an "intimate portrait" looks like. The filmmakers have a way of sidling up to these characters, capturing the little things, and creating both internal and external tensions for them. I loved the striking contrast of the last act, as that sharp turn effectively heightens the desires that drove the characters in the first two acts. There's a kind of terrifying openness of possibility in that last act that was positively curtailed by those labelled bottles in the first two.
Rated 07 Feb 2024
60
35th
The Life and Times of Some Drugstore Thieves. Dillon is his usual "bad boy with a good heart"; the others are mostly anonymous.(Perhaps I was just disappointed that the sidekick didn't once say, "Whatcha gonna do, Bob?") It's actually a decent character study; I just can't see myself ever watching it again.

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