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Movies / On DVD / Shallow Grave
Shallow Grave

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Shallow Grave (1995)

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Reviews Counted:41

Fresh:29

Rotten:12

Average Rating:6.4/10

Consensus: This black-humored thriller features characters who are more obnoxious than clever. During the second half, the movie descends into gratuitous violence.

Runtime: 1 hr 34 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: After three Edinburgh roommates (Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, and Kerry Fox) finally choose a new roommate they can live with, they find him dead on the floor with a suitcase full of cash.... After three Edinburgh roommates (Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, and Kerry Fox) finally choose a new roommate they can live with, they find him dead on the floor with a suitcase full of cash. While trying to remove the body and extricate themselves from the situation, they wade hip-deep into a world of drugs, greed, and madness. Danny Boyle's first feature film is a delightfully circuitous, nail-biting, and unpretentious noir, with the director--and screenwriter John Hodge--focusing on the gradual psychological disintegration of the roommates. Boyle and Hodge would gain even greater acclaim across the Atlantic with their hit follow-up, TRAINSPOTTING. Eccleston would go on to appear in films such as ELIZABETH and THE OTHERS. McGregor, of course, would become Rent Boy and eventually Obi-Wan Kenobi, among many other screen roles. [More]

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Kerry Fox, Ken Stott

Starring: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Eccleston, Kerry Fox, Ken Stott, Keith Allen

Director: Danny Boyle

Director: Danny Boyle
Screenwriter: John Hodge

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Nov 17, 1998

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Shallow Grave

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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A reasonably enjoyable (for those captivated by this sort of thing) black comedy/noir thriller.

Full Review Source: ReelViews | comment Comment
01/01/00
James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Nasty, mean-spirited, and heartless--perfect qualities for a thriller.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
07/11/05
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

Brilliantly implicit, relentlessly paced, hilariously dark and underpinned by a central moral dilemma guaranteed to tease long after lights out.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark Dinning
Mark Dinning
Empire Magazine

Since no reasonable person can remotely hope to identity with Juliet, David or Alex, the whole case drops through.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Boyle's relentless homage to Hitchcock ... wears thin.

Full Review Source: Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer
Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus

At some point, ordinary human compassion must take up the slack. Boyle isn't a zippy enough director to make up for what's missing. No one is.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
09/23/07
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

A tight little thriller, filled with exhilarating twists, that quickly establishes its artistic contract with the audience.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Edward Guthmann
Edward Guthmann
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Regardless of how one feels about the film, there's no denying that it's absolutely brilliant as a cinematic calling card.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
09/09/04
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

The situation is contrived, the relationships unlikely, the characters one-dimensional.

comment Comment
01/01/00
John Hartl
John Hartl
Film.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Stylish, wacky and a bit shocking in places.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Chris Hicks
Chris Hicks
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

[The characters] become less and less interesting as the movie progresses.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
01/01/00
Hal Hinson
Hal Hinson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Gives ample evidence of Boyle's cinematic artistry.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide

The three ... especially Fox--do well.

Full Review Source: New Republic | comment Comment
01/01/00
Stanley Kauffmann
Stanley Kauffmann
New Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Goes drastically wrong in the second half, deteriorating into a shrill horror flick dressed up in killer garb.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
01/01/00
Bruce Kirkland
Bruce Kirkland
Jam! Movies

This stylish, exhilarating feature debut Scottish director Boyle shows impressive command over the film medium. It's new type of British film, more influenced by Tarantino and the Coen brothers than any British tradition--Boyle is a talent to watch.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment 1 Comment
02/01/07
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Boyle's cool manner and the performances ultimately ratchet Shallow Grave past the ranks of standard thriller fare.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Lucy Mohl
Lucy Mohl
Film.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

From the get-go, this film begins to close its fingers around your neck and never lets go.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Class has its place, but some of us prefer our cut-'em-ups a little more lowdown.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
02/13/01
Peter Rainer
Peter Rainer
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Eccleston's intense performance and a few nasty little twists make it a thriller that keeps you watching, guessing and squirming.

Full Review Source: Scott Renshaw's Screening Room | comment Comment
01/01/00
Scott Renshaw
Scott Renshaw
Scott Renshaw's Screening Room

We end up with a Hitchcock-lite tale that has gratuitous violence a la Steven King or any slasher movie pasted on in place of a viable script.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z)
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