The Square (2008)
Average Rating: 7.3/10
Reviews Counted: 83
Fresh: 71 | Rotten: 12
The Square may not quite live up to the modern noir classics that inspired it, but with twists and tension to spare, it comes admirably close.
Average Rating: 7.1/10
Critic Reviews: 25
Fresh: 20 | Rotten: 5
The Square may not quite live up to the modern noir classics that inspired it, but with twists and tension to spare, it comes admirably close.
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Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 3,021
Movie Info
In 2011, the eyes of the world were on Egypt as a group of activists made Tahrir Square in Cairo the center of demonstrations demanding an end to the nation's repressive government. As the movement suddenly gained mass support and became the focus of international media attention, Egypt was on the brink of revolution, and as Hosni Mubarek left office, many Egyptians were caught between elation and anxiety as the nation confronted both fresh possibilities and an uncertain future, especially after
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Cast
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David Roberts
Ray -
Claire van der Boom
Carla -
Joel Edgerton
Billy -
Anthony Hayes
Smithy -
Lucy Bell
Martha -
Kieran Darcy-Smith
Barney -
Brendan Donoghue
Leonard -
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Peter Phelps
Jake -
Bill Hunter
Gil Hubbard -
Damon Herriman
Eddie
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All Critics (83) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (71) | Rotten (12) | DVD (7)
A taut, well-executed if somewhat predictable riff on the murderous caper-that-goes-wrong theme that has anchored sexy, blood-stained crime pictures from The Postman Always Rings Twice to Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.
Top CriticA well-made and entertaining descent into a black-comic hell.
It's as if filmmaking brothers Joel and Nash Edgerton (Joel cowrote, produced and costars, Nash directed) sat down and said, "Let's watch these suckers wreck their lives, and the lives of everyone around them."
A perverse delight, the rare film that makes you feel good about feeling bad (or at least watching others do so).
Things go from bad to worse to downright disastrous in the enthralling Australian import The Square.
The Square is a solidly constructed thriller with some missing pieces at the center but vivid splashes of color outside the lines.
This kind of crime film is not easy to make, and the Edgertons have done an admirable job with The Square.
The Square gets plenty of early elements in place to promise something more special than it ultimately becomes... Even a strong first impression can't survive such a flailing resolution.
"The Square": It's Australian for noir, mate.
A debut feature that replaces the Coen brothers' humor in similarly labyrinthine comedies of errors with Arthur Penn's grit and Peckinpah's tense string tuning.
Dire, frantic, and unfailingly engaging...introduces a major filmmaking talent to the scene who understands the utter joy that comes with detailing complete psychological devastation.
A tough, twisty tale of murder, adultery and purloined loot that stays true to author James Ellroy's succinct summation of the primary theme of film noir: 'We're all ----ed.'
The Edgertons are in complete command of their craft, without bringing anything new to the party.
Slick compared to films noir of old, the stunts too cool and characters too swishy, but swaggering with a good old-fashioned edge and raw steaming action for each and every one of its 105 minutes.
The movie's protagonists (and all of its supporting characters) are reprehensible people, and Roberts' performance is fascinatingly uncharismatic, extinguishing any possibility of sympathy for his character even when the film gradually reveals his town to
In terms of a modern crime thriller, you're not going to do any better than this debut film.
While the performances are good, it felt like I had already seen this movie before. Also, if you are looking to root for anyone, you're going to have to look elsewhere.
The Square recalls one of cinema's all-time classic lines, that moment in 1981's Body Heat when Kathleen Turner's femme fatale Matty Walker studies William Hurt's gullible Ned Racine and declares, "You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man."
Rather than intrigue, the pile-up of confounding issues in The Square merely bores, hindered by pacing that is uniformly slow rather than suspenseful. A better title: The Blob.
What's to be admired is how fearlessly Edgerton embraces the dirt and grime oozing out of "The Square," manufacturing the guilt that's produced when information is withheld, when lies are tossed around, and when the best laid plans go awry.
A fiendishly gripping thriller.
The whole thing unfolds with sadistic precision, but Edgerton's expert manipulation makes it a fun ride nonetheless.
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Critics Consensus: Date Night Is An OK Night on The TownThis week at the movies, we've got a wild night on the town (Date Night, starring Steve Carrell and...
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Movie: ID: 771041877 Title: The Square Release Date: 2010-04-09 00:00:00.0 MPAA: 4 Status: 1
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