Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Essential Killing

  • 20102010
  • RR
  • 1h 23m
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
7.8K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
27,796
3,541
Essential Killing (2010)
A Taliban member who lives in Afghanistan is taken captive by the Americans after killing three American soldiers. He is transferred to Europe for interrogation but manages to escape from his captors and becomes an escaped convict on a continent he does not know.
Play trailer1:42
2 Videos
59 Photos
ActionThrillerWar
An Afghan POW attempts his escape.An Afghan POW attempts his escape.An Afghan POW attempts his escape.
IMDb RATING
6.1/10
7.8K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
27,796
3,541
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Jerzy Skolimowski
    • Writers
      • Jerzy Skolimowski(screenplay)
      • Ewa Piaskowska(screenplay)
      • James McManus(additional writing)
    • Stars
      • Vincent Gallo
      • Emmanuelle Seigner
      • Zach Cohen
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Jerzy Skolimowski
    • Writers
      • Jerzy Skolimowski(screenplay)
      • Ewa Piaskowska(screenplay)
      • James McManus(additional writing)
    • Stars
      • Vincent Gallo
      • Emmanuelle Seigner
      • Zach Cohen
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 50User reviews
    • 120Critic reviews
    • Awards
      • 14 wins & 9 nominations

    Videos2

    US Version
    Trailer 1:42
    US Version
    International Version
    Trailer 1:48
    International Version

    Photos59

    Vincent Gallo in Essential Killing (2010)
    Essential Killing (2010)
    Vincent Gallo in Essential Killing (2010)
    Vincent Gallo and Emmanuelle Seigner in Essential Killing (2010)
    Vincent Gallo in Essential Killing (2010)
    Jerzy Skolimowski in Essential Killing (2010)
    Vincent Gallo in Essential Killing (2010)
    Essential Killing (2010)
    David L. Price in Essential Killing (2010)
    Vincent Gallo in Essential Killing (2010)
    Essential Killing (2010)
    Essential Killing (2010)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Vincent Gallo
    Vincent Gallo
    • Mohammed
    Emmanuelle Seigner
    Emmanuelle Seigner
    • Margaret
    Zach Cohen
    • American Contractor 1
    Iftach Ophir
    Iftach Ophir
    • American Contractor 2
    Nicolai Cleve Broch
    Nicolai Cleve Broch
    • Helicopter Pilot 1
    Stig Frode Henriksen
    Stig Frode Henriksen
    • Helicopter Pilot 2
    David L. Price
    David L. Price
    • Interrogation Officer
    • (as David Price)
    Tracy Spencer Shipp
    • Young Soldier in Suv
    Mark Gasperich
    • Head of Pursuit Team
    Phillip Goss
    • Military Doctor
    Klaudia Kaca
    • Woman on a Bicycle
    Dariusz Juzyszyn
    Dariusz Juzyszyn
    • Logger
    Raymond Josey
    • American Soldier
    Robert Mazurkiewicz
    • Hunter
    Janusz Wojtarowicz
    • Margaret's Husband
    Pawel Baranek
    • Drunk Farmer 1
    Marcin Galazyn
    Marcin Galazyn
    • Drunk Farmer 2
    David Jefferson
    • American Soldier
    • Director
      • Jerzy Skolimowski
    • Writers
      • Jerzy Skolimowski(screenplay)
      • Ewa Piaskowska(screenplay)
      • James McManus(additional writing)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    Cztery noce z Anna
    6.8
    Cztery noce z Anna
    Deep End
    7.1
    Deep End
    The Hole
    6.8
    The Hole
    Route Irish
    6.4
    Route Irish
    Walkover
    6.8
    Walkover
    Fulltime Killer
    6.8
    Fulltime Killer
    The Shout
    6.6
    The Shout
    Ossos
    6.9
    Ossos
    A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness
    6.1
    A Spell to Ward Off the Darkness
    The Executioner's Song
    7.0
    The Executioner's Song
    11 Minutes
    5.7
    11 Minutes
    Trouble Every Day
    5.9
    Trouble Every Day

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie never reveals what part of the world Mohammed has been taken to. But the coordinates given by a helicopter crew, 53 39 N 25 33 E, is located in a heavily wooded area of northwest Belarus.
    • Goofs
      After Mohammed falls in the water he climbs out of the lake. However, in the following scene with the dog he seems dry.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Venice Film Festival 2010 (2010)
    • Soundtracks
      Mie Toleruje - Bije
      Music written by Rafal Modlinski, Karol Ludew, Piotr Leniewicz and Adam Adamczyk

      Performed by Moja Adrenalina

    User reviews50

    Review
    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    only the desperate understand war
    You've rarely seen a movie like Jerzy Skolimowski's "Essential Killing". Vincent Gallo (of "Buffalo '66") plays an escaped POW from Afghanistan who roams the European countryside in midwinter hoping to be able to survive in this unfamiliar setting. The absence of dialogue - except for a few lines - gives the film an especially surreal feel. There's no particular political message. The message is: when you're on your own, you'd better have your wits about you.

    This is the first Skolimowski movie that I've seen. I'm impressed. I hope to be able to see more of his movies. In the mean time, I recommend this one.

    Also starring Emmanuelle Seigner (Roman Polanski's wife).
    helpful•3
    0
    • lee_eisenberg
    • Apr 3, 2018

    FAQ1

    • Where was the taliban fighter taken to ?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 22, 2010 (Poland)
    • Countries of origin
      • Poland
      • Norway
      • Ireland
      • Hungary
      • France
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Polish
      • Arabic
    • Also known as
      • Essence
    • Filming locations
      • Kampinoski Park Narodowy, Mazowieckie, Poland
    • Production companies
      • Skopia Film
      • Cylinder Production
      • Element Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €3,167,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $490,320
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 23 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Essential Killing (2010)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Essential Killing (2010) officially released in India in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    View list
    List
    The Best Movies and Shows to Watch in August
    See the full list
    View list
    List
    Fall TV Guide: The Best Shows Coming This Year
    See the full list
    View image
    Photos
    Double Take: Celebrity Twins
    See the full list
    Back to top

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more access
    Sign in for more access
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Interest-Based Ads
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2022 by IMDb.com, Inc.