Lawless

20122012
RR
1h 56min

Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, and Jessica Chastain in Lawless (2012)

Set in the Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a bootlegging gang is threatened by authorities who want a cut of their profits.

Play trailer2:29

Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a trio of bootlegging brothers are threatened by a new special deputy and other authorities angling for a cut of their profits.Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a trio of bootlegging brothers are threatened by a new special deputy and other authorities angling for a cut of their profits.Set in Depression-era Franklin County, Virginia, a trio of bootlegging brothers are threatened by a new special deputy and other authorities angling for a cut of their profits.

Director
- John Hillcoat
Writers
- Nick Cave(screenplay by)
- Matt Bondurant(based on the book by: "The Wettest County in the World")
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 8 nominations

Gary Oldman in Lawless (2012)

Gary Oldman in Lawless (2012)

Tom Hardy and Jessica Chastain in Lawless (2012)

Shia LaBeouf and Mia Wasikowska in Lawless (2012)

Jason Clarke, Tom Hardy, and Shia LaBeouf in Lawless (2012)

Tom Hardy in Lawless (2012)

Shia LaBeouf in Lawless (2012)

Guy Pearce in Lawless (2012)

Tom Hardy and Shia LaBeouf in Lawless (2012)

Tom Hardy in Lawless (2012)

Lawless (2012)

Tom Hardy at an event for Lawless (2012)

Director
- John Hillcoat
Writers
- Nick Cave(screenplay by)
- Matt Bondurant(based on the book by: "The Wettest County in the World")
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

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In 1931, in Franklin County, Virginia, Forrest Bondurant is a legend as immortal after surviving the war. Together with his brothers Howard and the coward Jack, the Bondurant family has a distillery and bootlegging business. When the corrupt District Attorney Mason Wardell arrives in Franklin with the unscrupulous Special Deputy Charles Rakes, the Bondurant family refuses to pay the required bribe to the authorities. Rakes pursues the brothers and unsuccessfully tries to find their distillery. Meanwhile Forrest hires the waitress Maggie, a woman with a hidden past in Chicago, and they fall in love with each other. Jack courts the preacher's daughter Bertha Minnix and deals a great load of alcoholic liquor with the powerful gangster Floyd Banner. Jack shows off in Franklin attracting the attention of Rakes that finds the location of their distillery. When he kills the crippled Cricket Pete, the locals join forces to face the corrupt authorities. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

female frontal nudity bouncing breasts bootlegging gangster thompson sub machine gun 115 more

Taglines
- When the law became corrupt, outlaws became heroes.
Genres
- Crime
- Drama
Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
- Rated R for strong bloody violence, language and some sexuality/nudity
Parents guide

Trivia
The movie is based on actual events, as explained in the 2008 book "The Wettest County in the World" written by Matt Bondurant, grandson of Jack Bondurant (Shia LaBeouf's character in the film).

Goofs
The movie is set in the 1930s, at one point a character is loading a shotgun with plastic shotgun shells, but plastic shells weren't introduced until the 1960s. During the period of the movie shotgun shells were made of thick paper with a metal bottom for the primer.

Quotes
Forrest Bondurant: It is not the violence that sets men apart, alright, it is the distance that he is prepared to go.

Alternate versions
9 seconds of gory violence were removed for an R rating in the US. The film was released uncut internationally (including Canada).

Connections
Featured in At the Movies: Cannes Film Festival 2012 (2012)

Soundtracks
Fire and Brimstone
Written by Link Wray (as Fred Lincoln Wray, Jr.)
Performed by The Bootleggers
Featuring Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan appears courtesy of 4 AD Ltd.

Top review

8/10

Lawless is a typical B-movie in structure

Lawless is a typical B-movie in structure. Here is a straightforward plot with a previously known climax and denouement. And the era itself has already been described so many times that it is almost impossible to tell something new. In such cases, only the cast can be of interest. And in this regard, Lawless hits exactly the target. This is a great cast. That Tom Hardy, that Guy Pierce fit perfectly into his roles. Yes, Shia LaBeouf played his role perfectly, as did Jessica Chastain. An excellent film that critics probably did not like at one time. This is a purely spectator simple movie.

helpful•9

0

eva3si0n
Nov 15, 2020

Release date
- August 29, 2012 (United States)
Country of origin
- United States
Language
- English
Also known as
- The Promised Land
Filming locations
- Gay, Georgia, USA
Production companies
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $26,000,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $37,400,127
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $10,001,982
- Sep 2, 2012
Gross worldwide
- $55,404,207

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
- 1h 56min
Color
- Color
Sound mix
Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1

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Tom Hardy, Shia LaBeouf, and Jessica Chastain in Lawless (2012)

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