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A History of Violence
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A History of Violence (2005)

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Reviews Counted:201

Fresh:175

Rotten:26

Average Rating:7.9/10

Consensus: A History of Violence raises compelling and thoughtful questions about the nature of violence, while representing a return to form for director David Cronenberg -- in one of his more uncharacteristic pieces.

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Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong brutal violence, graphic sexuality, nudity, language and some drug use

Runtime: 1 hr. 36 min.

Genre: Drama, Mystery & Suspense

Theatrical Release: Sep 23, 2005 Wide

Box Office: $31.4M

Synopsis: Tom Stall is living a happy and quiet life with his lawyer wife and their two children in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana, but one night their... Tom Stall is living a happy and quiet life with his lawyer wife and their two children in the small town of Millbrook, Indiana, but one night their idyllic existence is shattered when Tom foils a vicious attempted robbery in his diner. Sensing danger, he takes action and saves his customers and friends in the self-defense killings of two-sought-after criminals. Heralded as a hero, Tom's life is changed overnight, attracting a national media circus, which forces him into the spotlight. Uncomfortable with his newfound celebrity, Tom tries to return to the normalcy of his ordinary life only to be confronted by a mysterious and threatening man who arrives in town believing Tom is the man who's wronged him in the past. As Tom and his family fight back against this case of mistaken identity and struggle to cope with their changed reality, they are forced to confront their relationships and the divisive issues which surface as a result. [More]

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ashton Holmes, William Hurt

Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello, Ashton Holmes, William Hurt, Stephen McHattie, Peter MacNeill, Ed Harris, Heidi Hayes, Greg Bryk, Kyle Schmid

Director: David Cronenberg

Director: David Cronenberg
Screenwriter: Josh Olson
Producer: JC Spink , Chris Bender
Studio: New Line Cinema

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    A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE SCENE WHOS JOEY
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REVIEWS FOR A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

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1 - 20 of 202 (sorted by date)
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Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Name | Source | Date
 
 

While it weakens in its final stretch...A History of Violence succeeds enormously thanks to the strength of its direction and performances.

Full Review Source: Cinema Writer | comment Comment
Aug 16, 2010
Jay Antani
Jay Antani
Cinema Writer

A truly entertaining and engrossing study of violence, family, and our pasts eventually coming back to haunt us...

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
Jun 23, 2010
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

The violence that enters the characters' perfect domestic existence is permanent, and each act reveals truths about the people who use it and the audience who enjoys it.

Full Review Source: AskMen.com | comment Comment
Jun 7, 2010
Radheyan Simonpillai
Radheyan Simonpillai
AskMen.com

Impeccable formal control to match audacity is mandatory, and Cronenberg provides it

Full Review Source: CinePassion | comment Comment
Sep 1, 2009
Fernando F. Croce
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion

The movie begins slowly, methodically, and builds increasingly toward a devastating climax.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
Feb 14, 2009
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

It's one of the better dramas of the year so far -- even if at times it feels like an artistic genius is painting by numbers.

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
Jan 15, 2008
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

The tension builds in a slow boil, then ignites furiously when we're not quite ready for it.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
Sep 17, 2007
Rob Gonsalves
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Mr. Mortensen and the sparse, intelligent script hold it together.

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
Jul 14, 2007
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

Shows its stuff as both suspenseful, eloquent storytelling, while giving rise to larger cultural questions connected to the entrenched institutionalization of aggression as a major means of problem solving in this country.

Full Review Source: WBAI Web Radio | comment 2 Comments
Feb 8, 2007
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
WBAI Web Radio

A History of Violence develops with the singleness of purpose, and the rigor, of a mathematical demonstration, one that begins with a commonly accepted truth and ends with brains spattered across the floor.

Full Review Source: Nation | comment Comment
Nov 11, 2006
Stuart Klawans
Stuart Klawans
Nation

full review in Greek

Full Review Source: Movies for the Masses | comment Comment
Oct 3, 2006
Joseph Proimakis
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses

Cronenberg's masterful, intelligent and gripping meta-thriller leaves us pondering about our enduringly perverse desire for alternative realities, in which surrogate violent alter egos run righteously and preposterously amok.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
Sep 28, 2006
Richard Falcon
Richard Falcon
Sight and Sound

A remarkably convincing examination of heroism, hero worship, and the seductive allure of villainy.

Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
May 12, 2006
Ken Tucker
Ken Tucker
New York Magazine
Top Critic IconTop Critic

There's nothing more off-putting than being treated like a guinea pig.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment 1 Comment
Mar 10, 2006
Sandra Hall
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald

A tantalisingly explosive film about inner conflicts and secrets... a sublime psychological thriller in a western setting.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
Mar 4, 2006
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

A strange David Cronenberg movie, and not in the usual audaciously morbid way. A brooding, contemplative picture that's tough, tight and masterfully controlled.

Full Review Source: MTV | comment Comment
Feb 7, 2006
Kurt Loder
Kurt Loder
MTV

Lo más reciente del canadiense David Cronenberg es un sólido thriller, casi de factura clásica, sobre las ramificaciones de la violencia.

Full Review Source: Uruguay Total | comment Comment
Jan 12, 2006
Enrique Buchichio
Enrique Buchichio
Uruguay Total

I have no doubt that the humor is intentional, but it serves to undercut the whole thematic conflict.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
Dec 15, 2005
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

There are elements in this film that are 100% Cronenberg (the beautiful violence we so rarely see these days, subtle weird humor), but this is not your typical Cronenberg

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
Dec 6, 2005
Michael Ferraro
Michael Ferraro
Film Threat

What Mortensen does brilliantly is to keep us guessing.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
Dec 6, 2005
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent
 
 
1 - 20 of 202 (sorted by date)
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LATEST NEWS FOR A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE

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September 26, 2008: Paramount Taking Child's One Shot with Olson
Paramount has hired "A History of Violence" screenwriter Josh Olson to pen an adaptation of Lee Child's "One Shot" novel, about "an ex-Army policeman who...gets tangled up with an ex-infantry... More...

December 24, 2007: RT on DVD: Rush Hour 3, The Kingdom, and More!
There's action and drama to be found this week, and not just with your family at Christmas dinner. And if you couldn't make it out of town for the holidays, you're in luck; this week's DVDs take you... More...

October 2, 2007: Cory Goodman to Remake Cronenberg's Brood
You guys! Check it out! You aren't going to believe this, but...it's a news item about a remake! More...

September 20, 2007: Box Office Guru Preview: Jovovich vs. Alba in Multiplex Mayhem
Jodie Foster will find herself in the middle of a catfight over the number one spot this weekend. The star of current chart-topper The Brave One will face challenges from Milla Jovovich's new action... More...

September 12, 2007: RT Talks Eastern Promises with David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen
The upcoming Eastern Promises marks the second collaboration between David Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen since A History of Violence in 2006. A crime drama with an interest in principles of family,... More...

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