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IMDbPro

Killer Joe

  • 2011
  • Unrated
  • 1h 42m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
81K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,450
281
Killer Joe (2011)
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.
Play trailer2:28
27 Videos
99+ Photos
DramaThriller

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.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.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
    • William Friedkin
  • Writer
    • Tracy Letts
  • Stars
    • Matthew McConaughey
    • Emile Hirsch
    • Juno Temple
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    81K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,450
    281
    • Director
      • William Friedkin
    • Writer
      • Tracy Letts
    • Stars
      • Matthew McConaughey
      • Emile Hirsch
      • Juno Temple
    • 321User reviews
    • 383Critic reviews
    • 62Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 9 wins & 21 nominations

    Videos27

    U.K. Trailer
    Trailer 2:28
    Watch U.K. Trailer
    Theatrical Version
    Trailer 2:33
    Watch Theatrical Version
    Killer Joe
    Trailer 1:31
    Watch Killer Joe
    All About Juno Temple
    Clip 1:19
    Watch All About Juno Temple
    "Tuna Casserole Dinner"
    Clip 1:01
    Watch "Tuna Casserole Dinner"
    "Sharla and Ansel in the Basement"
    Clip 0:50
    Watch "Sharla and Ansel in the Basement"
    "Meeting at the Pool Hall"
    Clip 0:53
    Watch "Meeting at the Pool Hall"
    "Sit Down, Dottie"
    Clip 0:38
    Watch "Sit Down, Dottie"
    "The Amusement Park"
    Clip 0:39
    Watch "The Amusement Park"
    "My Boyfriend Marshall"
    Clip 0:54
    Watch "My Boyfriend Marshall"
    "Joe and Dottie in Kitchen"
    Clip 0:53
    Watch "Joe and Dottie in Kitchen"
    "Dottie Modeling Dress"
    Clip 0:36
    Watch "Dottie Modeling Dress"

    Photos138

    Matthew McConaughey in Killer Joe (2011)
    Matthew McConaughey in Killer Joe (2011)
    Matthew McConaughey in Killer Joe (2011)
    Emile Hirsch and Juno Temple in Killer Joe (2011)
    Gina Gershon, Thomas Haden Church, Emile Hirsch, and Juno Temple in Killer Joe (2011)
    Matthew McConaughey in Killer Joe (2011)
    Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsch in Killer Joe (2011)
    Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsch in Killer Joe (2011)
    Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves McConaughey at an event for Killer Joe (2011)
    Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, and Juno Temple in Killer Joe (2011)
    Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsch in Killer Joe (2011)
    Matthew McConaughey and Emile Hirsch in Killer Joe (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Matthew McConaughey
    Matthew McConaughey
    • Killer Joe Cooper
    Emile Hirsch
    Emile Hirsch
    • Chris Smith
    Juno Temple
    Juno Temple
    • Dottie Smith
    Thomas Haden Church
    Thomas Haden Church
    • Ansel Smith
    Gina Gershon
    Gina Gershon
    • Sharla Smith
    Marc Macaulay
    Marc Macaulay
    • Digger Soames
    Gralen Bryant Banks
    Gralen Bryant Banks
    • Pizza Patron
    • (as Graylen Banks)
    Carol Sutton
    • Saleslady
    Danny Epper
    • G-Man
    Jeff Galpin
    Jeff Galpin
    • Biker Thug
    Scott A. Martin
    Scott A. Martin
    • Pizza Manager
    • (as Scott Martin)
    Gregory C. Bachaud
    • Filpatrick
    Charley Vance
    Charley Vance
    • Preacher
    Julia Adams
    • Adele
    • (uncredited)
    Geraldine Glenn
    • Pizza Patron
    • (uncredited)
    Sean O'Hara
    Sean O'Hara
    • Rex
    • (uncredited)
    Blain Sanchez
    Blain Sanchez
    • Prisoner
    • (uncredited)
    Tony Severio
    • Pizza Patron
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • William Friedkin
    • Writer
      • Tracy Letts
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Gina Gershon had been originally offered the role of Sharla almost 20 years previously when the script was for a play, but she turned it down because she could not imagine performing the infamous chicken-leg scene "eight times a week" on stage.
    • Goofs
      After Joe lights the fire to burn up the car we see in the next shot a set of pipes added to the undercarriage of the car to aid and/or assist with the stunt car fire and/or extinguishing of the fire.
    • Quotes

      Killer Joe Cooper: Tuna casserole! May I serve?

      Dottie Smith: How are you gonna kill my mama?

      Killer Joe Cooper: That's not appropriate dinner conversation, Dottie.

      Dottie Smith: Unless you poison her.

    • Crazy credits
      The unrated DVD retains the MPAA's NC-17 graphic at the end, although the rating was surrendered.
    • Alternate versions
      The USA/Canada DVD is available in two versions, one the original NC-17 rated version (labeled as Unrated) and the other an R-Rated version. The R-Rated version has the following cuts:
      • 1:25:27 (10.5 sec. cut) Sharla starts sucking at the chicken leg. Joe moans "Easy...easy."
      • 1:25:42 (5.5 sec. cut) A cut to Carla, who is still sucking the chicken leg, is missing. The R-Rated shows the shot of Joe without interruption, lengthening it insignificantly.
      • 1:25:49 (2.5 sec. cut) Joe asks Ansel in this shot "What do you think?". The R-Rated Version features the question from the off in the following shot of Ansel.
      • 1:26:03 (Alternate Shot) The R-Rated shows Joe talking in a longer shot of himself and then an alternative shot of Ansel sitting down on the bench. The original features two shots from further away showing Sharla during her forced blow job. The Unrated Version runs a bit longer.
      • 1:26:34 (11 sec. cut) The shot of Ansel can be seen a moment longer. Joe then asks twice: "Reach around and grab my ass!". Sharla obeys.
      • 1:26:56 (Alternate Shot (No time difference)) The R-Rated Version mainly shows the shot of Joe longer and the alternative shot of Ansel before the shot from further away can be seen for a short time. The latter can be seen the whole time in the Unrated Version.
      • 1:27:20 (Alternate Shot) The R-Rated Version shows the previous and following shots of Joe longer/earlier, whereas the Unrated cuts to a close-up of Sharla complying with Joe's demands and starting to moan.
      • 1:37:30 (1 sec. cut) The shot starts a bit earlier with an additional (first) blow of the can against Chris' head.
      • 1:37:33 (1.5 sec.) Another blow is missing.
      • 1:37:41 (4.5 sec.) Joe beats Chris with the can three more times against the head and in the face, Chris spits out blood. Additional shot of Dottie screaming "Oh God!".
      • 1:42:47 (No time difference) The MPAA overlays at the end differ display the different rating for the two versions.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Big Review: Summer Trailer Park Series (2012)
    • Soundtracks
      Swamp Fox
      Written by Rick Miller

      Performed by Southern Culture on the Skids

    User reviews321

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    7/10
    Equal parts hilarious, vile, and demented, elevated by top-notch performances across the board led by a magnetic McConaughey.
    Killer Joe is a roller-coaster of a movie. At first it seems like a dark comedy, then a crime drama plot starts to uncover, and by the end it becomes downright terrifying. I'm a sucker for these kinds of movies and Killer Joe absolutely nails everything it goes for. This kind of story couldn't be pulled off without the right director. Thankfully William Friedkin knocks it out of the park. You can smell the white trash emanating from the screen. Every detail of every action is given the right amount of attention; every shot has purpose. Not one second is gone to waste. And in order for a story like this to truly resonate you'd need competent actors, and I don't think you could find a more perfect cast for Killer Joe if you tried. McConaughey is absolutely mesmerizing as this badass detective who's a hit-man on the side. The story revolves around a trailer trash family and their plan to exploit an insurance policy on the husband's ex-wife because the son got wrapped up in a bad drug deal, so they hire Killer Joe to do the job. Little do they know, Killer Joe does not f*ck around.

    It's a graphic movie but it's not gratuitous. There's a reason for everything that is shown. And the narrative slowly builds to an explosive climax that leaves you flabbergasted. Seriously, the final scene in this movie which is about 10 minutes long, is absolutely phenomenal. Shocking, riveting, unsettling. Matthew McConaughey is downright villainous in this role. It's hard to call him a "villain" because he's straightforward in his motivations, much like it's hard to call the family the "heroes" because they're a bunch of moronic assholes, except the daughter who just doesn't know any better. The line between good and evil is blurred to the point of nonexistence, with Joe epitomizing this duality being the half detective half gun-for-hire hard-ass that he is. It's quite poetic, really. The characters in this movie are scum, and they all get what's coming to them.

    Killer Joe is a lot of things, but one thing it's not is scatterbrained. It's entirely focused and cohesive. All the genres it glosses over fit right into this depraved story arc, and it grips you to the screen from beginning to end. This movie certainly isn't for everyone, but if you can stomach Killer Joe, you won't soon forget it.
    helpful•133
    11
    • lnvicta
    • Mar 11, 2016

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    FAQ1

    • What are the differences between the R-Rated Version and the Unrated Director's Cut?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 29, 2012 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Killer Joe: A Twisted Redneck Trailer Park Murder Story
    • Filming locations
      • Six Flags New Orleans - Six Flags Pkwy, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA(Abandoned Theme Park)
    • Production companies
      • Voltage Pictures
      • Picture Perfect Corporation
      • Worldview Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $11,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,987,762
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $37,900
      • Jul 29, 2012
    • Gross worldwide
      • $4,633,668
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 42 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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