6.7/10
58,040
215 user 374 critic

Killer Joe (2011)

Trailer
2:27 | Trailer
When a debt puts a young man's life in danger, he turns to putting a hit out on his evil mother in order to collect the insurance.

Director:

Writers:

(screenplay), (play)
Reviews
Popularity
3,019 ( 132)
9 wins & 20 nominations. See more awards »

Videos

Photos

Learn more

People who liked this also liked... 

Mud (2012)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

Two young boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the vigilantes that are on his trail and to reunite him with his true love.

Director: Jeff Nichols
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland
Crime | Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

Mick Haller is a defense lawyer who works out of his Lincoln. When a wealthy Realtor is accused of assaulting a prostitute, Haller is asked to defend him. The man claims that the woman is ... See full summary »

Director: Brad Furman
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe
Bug (2006)
Drama | Horror | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6/10 X  

An unhinged war veteran holes up with a lonely woman in a spooky Oklahoma motel room. The line between reality and delusion is blurred as they discover a bug infestation.

Director: William Friedkin
Stars: Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, Harry Connick Jr.
Action | Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

A fearless Secret Service agent will stop at nothing to bring down the counterfeiter who killed his partner.

Director: William Friedkin
Stars: William Petersen, Willem Dafoe, John Pankow
The Paperboy (2012)
Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 5.8/10 X  

A reporter returns to his Florida home-town to investigate a case involving a death row inmate.

Director: Lee Daniels
Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack
Crime | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.2/10 X  

Jackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.

Director: Andrew Dominik
Stars: Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta, Richard Jenkins
Bernie (2011)
Comedy | Crime | Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.8/10 X  

In small-town Texas, an affable mortician strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow, though when she starts to become controlling, he goes to great lengths to separate himself from her grasp.

Director: Richard Linklater
Stars: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey
Take Shelter (2011)
Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.4/10 X  

Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself.

Director: Jeff Nichols
Stars: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Whigham
Sorcerer (1977)
Adventure | Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.7/10 X  

Four unfortunate men from different parts of the globe agree to risk their lives transporting gallons of nitroglycerin across dangerous South American jungle.

Director: William Friedkin
Stars: Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal
Crime | Drama | Thriller
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.3/10 X  

A motorcycle stunt rider turns to robbing banks as a way to provide for his lover and their newborn child, a decision that puts him on a collision course with an ambitious rookie cop navigating a department ruled by a corrupt detective.

Director: Derek Cianfrance
Stars: Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes
Joe I (2013)
Drama
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 6.9/10 X  

An ex-con, who is the unlikeliest of role models, meets a 15-year-old boy and is faced with the choice of redemption or ruin.

Director: David Gordon Green
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Tye Sheridan, Gary Poulter
Narc (2002)
Crime | Drama | Mystery
    1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 7.2/10 X  

When the trail goes cold on a murder investigation of a policeman an undercover narcotics officer is lured back to the force to help solve the case.

Director: Joe Carnahan
Stars: Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Chi McBride
Edit

Cast

Complete credited cast:
...
...
...
...
...
...
Gralen Bryant Banks ...
Pizza Patron (as Graylen Banks)
...
...
...
...
Pizza Manager (as Scott Martin)
Gregory C. Bachaud ...
...
Edit

Storyline

Finding himself in considerable debt, Chris a Texan drug dealer, decides the only solution is to murder his mother to collect the insurance money. Getting together with his father, the ex-husband of Chris' mother, they decide to hire Joe Cooper a contract killer, who also happens to be a police detective. The plan is that the money will go to Chris' sister Dottie. However due to the size of the contract fee, Chris agrees that Joe can take Dottie as a retainer until the insurance comes through. Written by Anonymous

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

A totally twisted deep-fried Texas redneck trailer park murder story. See more »


Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong and disturbing violence, sexuality, graphic nudity, drug use and language | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
Edit

Details

Official Sites:

|

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

29 June 2012 (UK)  »

Also Known As:

Killer Joe: A Twisted Redneck Trailer Park Murder Story  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$37,864 (USA) (27 July 2012)

Gross:

$1,987,762 (USA) (12 October 2012)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

(original) | (cut)

Sound Mix:

Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
See  »
Edit

Did You Know?

Trivia

In an interview Gina Gershon revealed that she wore a merkin. After ordering a wide variety, she settled on one she named Bertha. See more »

Goofs

When Joe opens the trunk of the car Adelle's eyes are open, but when he moves her body to the driver's seat the eyes are closed. See more »

Quotes

Killer Joe Cooper: [showing a picture to Sharla] Who's dick is that?
See more »

Crazy Credits

The unrated DVD retains the MPAA's NC-17 graphic at the end, although the rating was surrendered. See more »

Connections

Featured in The Big Review: Summer Trailer Park Series (2012) See more »

Soundtracks

Fire For Hire
Written by Christopher D.L. Lee and Benjamin A.T. Lee
Performed by Supagroup
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
What did I just watch???
18 September 2011 | by (Burlington, Ontario) – See all my reviews

Just off watching this last night at TIFF 2011, I am still reeling from what I actually witnessed on the screen.

First of all, where has Gina Gershon been?? Her character was so believable in this, I almost forgot she was in Showgirls :)

I could say the same thing about nearly every other character as well. They all have such subtle personalities, it seems as though they are playing themselves.

As for the plot, it is somewhat standard fare, as the trailer could easily giveaway, however it's how it progresses and pans out, is the most interesting aspect of the film.

There are a few scenes which some will find very hard to watch (in fact, during one now-notorious scene, dozens of people left the screening I was at), but if you stick with them, you will be in for a... treat? I'm not so sure, but you will have never seen anything like it, nor will you.

For the cast's performances alone, I highly recommend this film, but if you are feint of heart, or become queasy at the site of blood, maybe skip it.


129 of 178 people found this review helpful.  Was this review helpful to you?

Message Boards

Recent Posts
did she pull the trigger?? willcarmon81
Is this movie really as bad and as sick as people say it is?? jomeara-03613
Discuss Killer Joe (2011) on the IMDb message boards »

Contribute to This Page