Watch
Essential Killing

Essential Killing

2010
Suspense/Thriller, War
1h 23m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 46.61% from 293 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(293)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 27 Mar 2011
76
69th
Taut, beautifully shot and almost without dialogue. Gripping yet poetic.
Rated 24 Apr 2011
70
65th
Breathtakingly picturesque. The short bursts of action are captivating. More closure would have been nice.
Rated 18 Dec 2011
30
5th
All these points were for the dogs and the horse.
Rated 02 Jan 2012
82
88th
Totally stripped of ideologies or political comments on war or post 9/11 fears, Skolimowski's Herzogian survival thriller, in a way, it's just a film about a man being hunted down, fighting enemies and nature to make it. Not a great narrative effort, but an engaging physical drama. Gallo is brilliant without saying a word.
Rated 14 May 2012
64
68th
I don't know if that's what they meant by "Got Milk?"
Rated 05 Jan 2011
65
40th
I wished he would die already.
Rated 08 Mar 2011
75
74th
I think this is really quite good. Certainly not flawless but an engaging and interesting take on the subject matter. Gallo is excellent in the lead role, though very clearly Western-looking. I imagine it will get hated on a fair bit for being more existential than political, as well as its virtual plot- and dialoguelessness, but I think this is the best of 2010's "one-man's-fight-for-survival"-films. Gallo also gives Jim Carrey a run for his money when it comes to macking on bitches
Rated 08 May 2011
60
6th
ja nie rozumie? nagroda w Wenecja : /
Rated 16 Jun 2011
6
35th
(2nd viewing) While Skolimowski's intention remains undoubtedly irrelevant and whose psychological musings add little substance to a narratively paper thin survival story, watching Gallo's character adapt to the Herzogian environment, to every unpredictable situation that crosses his path is what makes this film truly suspenseful. A film that should be viewed at night, preferably alone, as any distraction will have you ripping on the film's more boring, unintentionally funny moments.
Rated 03 Jul 2011
70
59th
I watched it at night, a good match.
Rated 13 Jul 2011
63
60th
Skolimowski delivers tour-de-force directing in Essential Killing. There is not much to the plot, about a man who is a killer to begin with, and is then reduced to a wild animal in a bout to survive the natural elements. Not all of the killing seems entirely essential, and in fact, it's a bit of a fantasy altogether. But it works on a visceral level, and Gallo does a good job.
Rated 23 Jul 2011
90
90th
Effectively this is the sequence found in many action films - the escape sequence in the woods - amplified as a film by itself and used to view the idea of survival regardless of what gets in the way, the point where a person becomes merely a primal being whose only emotions are to escape and sustain themselves. The result is a stunning work with a pitch perfect performance by Vincent Gallo and beautiful cinematography.
Rated 18 Dec 2011
25
7th
Attractive cinematography fails to compensate for the fact the story means almost nothing (a man on the run is driven wild, kind of), and especially for the fact nearly every scene seems to involve characters behaving in illogical ways. Some scenes are downright absurd.
Rated 23 Dec 2011
75
68th
Pretty good film, well-shot, but with some serious flaws. Reminded me of the vastly superior Czech film Diamonds of The Night.
Rated 21 Oct 2012
20
0th
20 pontos pela fotografia!
Rated 06 Mar 2013
78
57th
It just needs one good idea for a solid movie.
Rated 15 Sep 2013
70
54th
Underrated!!! Yeah, the acting is not world class and the dreams/visions of the terrorist guy are pretty lame. But I love the silence used in the movie and how the dialogue does not add anything new to the silence/story. It reminded me of the (better) Dutch movie: de Poolse Bruid. Go watch that!
Rated 31 Aug 2014
70
64th
An unusual thriller told from a unique perspective. It has very little dialogue and the locations are beautiful. Would have liked an extra fifteen minutes where ends were tied up and the like.
Rated 23 Apr 2017
7
65th
w e w g a l l o
Rated 09 Nov 2019
68
67th
Gallo sucking on dem titties like he wandered off the set of Trouble Every Day.

Collections

(10)
Compact view
Showing 1 - 10 of 10 results

Similar Titles

Loading ...

Statistics

Loading ...

Trailer

No Trailer