The Kitchen (2019)

The wives of New York gangsters in Hell's Kitchen in the 1970s continue to operate their husbands' rackets after they're locked up in prison.

Director:

Andrea Berloff

Writers:

Andrea Berloff, Ollie Masters (based on the comic book series created for DC Vertigo by)

Stars:

Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elisabeth Moss

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Melissa McCarthy	...	Kathy Brennan
Tiffany Haddish	...	Ruby O'Carroll
Elisabeth Moss	...	Claire Walsh
Domhnall Gleeson	...	Gabriel O'Malley
James Badge Dale	...	Kevin O'Carroll
Brian d'Arcy James	...	Jimmy Brennan
Jeremy Bobb	...	Rob Walsh
Margo Martindale	...	Helen O'Carroll
Bill Camp	...	Alfonso Coretti
Common	...	Gary Silvers
E.J. Bonilla	...	Gonzalo Martinez
Myk Watford	...	Little Jackie Quinn
Wayne Duvall	...	Larry - Kathy's Father
Pamela Dunlap	...	Mary - Kathy's Mother
John Sharian	...	Duffy

Storyline

The wives of New York gangsters in Hell's Kitchen in the 1970s continue to operate their husbands' rackets after they're locked up in prison.

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Plot Keywords:

shot to death | based on graphic novel | armed robbery | punching a federal agent | year 1978 | 

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language throughout and some sexual content

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bill Camp appeared in this film and Joker (2019), which were released within a month of each other. Both films are DC Comics adaptations.

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Goofs

At the 12:34 mark when Elisabeth Moss' character leaves the diner, an address number next door shows 6920. That shows that the shot was nowhere near Hell's Kitchen. (Actually it's 3rd avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.)

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Quotes

Kathy Brennan: Bunch of men that have forgotten what family means.
Ruby O'Carroll: So we remind them.

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Crazy Credits

Retro-style versions of the Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema logos are used, suiting the film's 1970s setting.

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Connections

Referenced in What Just Happened??!: Parents (2019)

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Soundtracks

It's a Man's Man's Man's World
Written by James Brown and Betty Newsome (as Betty Jean Newsome)
Performed by Etta James
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment

User Reviews

Rushed and choppy, but also bold and interestingly vicious.

This gangster flick - set in the titular Hell's Kitchen burrow of New York circa the late seventies - has some serious balls. Which could seem ironic considering it centres on three wives who step up when their Irish-American criminal husbands are locked up for armed burglary. Directed by first-timer Andrea Berloff (who also penned the screenplay), this is a brutal, no-holds-barred cinematic take on the comic-book miniseries it adapts. This is no superhero story though, it's all about our protagonists kicking arse and taking names. Ferocious barely describes the leading trio: Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Haddish shed their comedic backgrounds for ice-cold powerplays and ruthless shakedowns in their pursuit of building an empire, whilst Elisabeth Moss is blood-chillingly merciless as the youngest of their group. Although this is ostensibly a movie about feminism, and there's the odd mawkish moment that's a little too on-the-nose, Berloff makes multiple bold choices that consistently plays against your expectations (not least allowing the always-brilliant Margo Martindale to go full matriarch-monster). These women go toe-to-toe with their male counterparts in numerous ways: violence, betrayal, strong-arming, manipulation. There's no time for the stereotypical silent-wife-with-quiet-dignity here, they want power and will do whatever's necessary to get it. Berloff doesn't get everything right though, the pacing in particular is a big concern. The choppy editing and sudden time-jumps don't allow the characters to breathe or subplots to fully develop, meaning it lacks the substance to match its style. I'm convinced there's a three-hour version of this movie on the cutting room floor somewhere. It may feel rushed and occasionally pales in comparison to the Scorsese crime epics that are clearly big influences, but The Kitchen is beautifully shot, superbly acted and interestingly vicious.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English Hebrew

Release Date:

9 August 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Kitchen

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$38,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,527,410, 11 August 2019

Gross USA:

$12,180,032

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$15,980,032

Company Credits

Production Co:

BRON Studios, Creative Wealth Media Finance, DC Vertigo

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1