Dead Man DownMovie Reviews

Dead Man Down Showtimes + Tickets

Avg. Critic Score: 39 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

Iffy for 16+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

75

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) | Rick Groen
Lumpy title, lively movie. Dead Man Down proves to be a frisky gangster flick cum elaborate thriller cum off-beat romance. Yep, there’s a whole lot going on here, but this is one of those plot-heavy scripts that carries its weight with confidence – the intricate twists don’t cheat. Read full review
63

ReelViews | James Berardinelli
The tone and pacing of Dead Man Down have a distinctly European flavor, which may explain why American viewers, used to having background and exposition pared down and cleanly delivered, may feel adrift at the outset. Read full review
60

The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen
More of a character-etched mood piece than a tautly calibrated caper, Dead Man Down benefits from potent visuals and a compelling international cast that also includes lead Colin Farrell, Terrence Howard and Isabelle Huppert. Read full review
60

New York Daily News | Joe Neumaier
Before it devolves into typical American-style action, there’s an intriguing, European-style complexity to Dead Man Down. Read full review
55

NPR | Mark Jenkins
J.H. Wyman's script is grim and fairly audacious, without anything so goofy as the silliest stuff in "Dragon Tattoo." The story involves some Grand Guignol violence, but its wildest notion is that a suicide-mission plot might somehow yield a happy ending. Read full review
50

Boston Globe | Ty Burr
Before this urban revenge melodrama falls apart in a clatter of plot absurdities and pretensions, it has its loopy charms. Read full review
50

USA Today | Claudia Puig
As a gritty thriller, Dead Man Down doesn't stand out among its bullet-riddled brethren. Read full review
38

Movie Nation | Roger Moore
Rapace is all over the place with her performance — needy, then self-assured, enraged, then in love. The always feral Farrell seems as dismayed by her as the rest of us. Read full review
38

Philadelphia Inquirer | Steven Rea
The film has been directed in a murky, rhythmless fashion by Niels Arden Oplev. Read full review
25

Slant Magazine | Calum Marsh
The action merely meanders when it should be hurtling forward, running in circles when one expects it to head toward a conclusion or some sense of resolution. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for Dead Man Down on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says Iffy for 16+ Solid revenge thriller has gun violence, other edgy content.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Dead Man Down is a revenge-themed thriller from the director and star of the original Swedish The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It's not nearly as intense as that movie, but it does have plenty of violence, language, and sexuality. There are close-range shootings and several gunfights, with dead bodies and some blood, and a character is briefly tortured (tied up and covered with rats). A minor character has sex with a prostitute, though no graphic nudity is actually shown. The male and female leads kiss on two occasions. "F--k" is used several times and "s--t" a few times. All of the main characters smoke cigarettes, and an illegal cocaine facility, with piles of cocaine, is briefly shown. Though the main character experiences some redemption, he's still driven by vengeance, and there are no repercussions for the killings he commits in the name of revenge.

Families can talk about Dead Man Down's violence and revenge. How does the movie justify the main character killing so many people and getting away with it? Who doesn't he kill? Is he a sympathetic character despite his actions? Why?
How is Beatrice's revenge different from, or similar to, Victor's revenge?
Are the main characters likable here? Are they intended to be role models? Why or why not?
How does Victor's friendship with Darcy affect his plan? Does friendship weaken a person or make you stronger?

The good stuff

Positive messages: The movie's main theme is revenge, and although there are a few hints of redemption at the end, it sticks close to that motif, with the main characters killing without repercussions.
Positive role models: The movie's main character is a killer who's working for a gangster and looking for revenge. He kills two different, opposing groups of gangsters. All of this happens without consequences/repercussions, though he does show some kindness and appear to have learned some lessons and found a kind of redemption at the end. The main female character is a survivor but also a victim.

What to watch for

Violence: Two huge gunfights with shooting and dead bodies, though not much blood is shown outside of minor injuries. A frozen corpse is shown. Characters are shot in the head and shot at close range. Other characters are shot by long-range rifle. A character is hanged with a rope. A character is briefly tortured -- tied up and covered with hungry rats. A bloody ear is shown after an operation. A woman is briefly held hostage during a shootout. A car crashes into a building.
Sexy stuff: A minor character is shown having sex with a prostitute (she demands her money afterward). Very little nudity is shown: The woman wears her bra, and though she doesn't have underwear on, she covers herself. The two main characters kiss on two occasions.
Language: "F--k" is used several times, in various permutations, throughout the movie. "S--t" is also used a few times. "Bitch" is used once.
Consumerism: Tupperware is mentioned a few times. A delivery service that resembles FedEx is used but is fictionalized for the movie.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: One scene takes place in an illegal drug facility, with piles of cocaine shown. Almost all of the main characters smoke cigarettes at least once. The main female character drinks a beer in a restaurant.

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