The Iceman Reviews

'Big bad' with a side dish of bats--t crazy is the specialty of Michael Shannon, and so scarily good he is in mining this wheelhouse that one does not dare to complain about him repeating himself.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4

The Iceman rests on the power of one hell of a performance from Shannon, with this monster of an actor playing a monster of a man with frightening intensity.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5

Ariel Vromen doesn't do so much in terms of the story (which spans 20 years, with corresponding hair fluctuations), but he seems to know his violence, and he's a true artiste when it comes to the queasy polyester ambience that holds this thing together.

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The Iceman is dark and gritty but there's not enough excitement or tension to really pull you in.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

Shannon's mesmerising performance has a Frankenstein edge to it.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

A truly mesmerising turn by Shannon that allows him to cultivate all his ugly thoughts into one brooding menace ...

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

As a chronicle of one of America's most infamous criminals, it's a chilling one. Much of that credit must go to Shannon however, who delivers inspired work sometimes in spite of the mostly conventional feature around him.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

Much more involving than the usual hitman thriller, this film takes a deliberately personal approach to its characters that makes it unusually involving.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

Both compelling character study and well crafted mob thriller ...

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

What makes it at all special is Shannon, who's terrific playing the human being behind the murderer, a man so psychopathic that he doesn't realise he's actually a monster posing as a man.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

The Iceman is a welcome adult thriller and its neat period touches will help to transfix many from start to finish.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

Engaging and enjoyable true-life thriller, enlivened by some impressive production design work, a strong script and superb performances from Michael Shannon and Winona Ryder.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

Ultimately The Iceman isn't so much a movie as a treadmill with corpses.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

It's as hard to look away from Shannon's performance as it is to look directly at it.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

Kneel before Shannon. His primal, powerhouse turn drives this criminal biopic.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

Kuklinski is thought to have killed over 100 people in the '70s and '80s, and in looking into Shannon's cold, dead eyes, you wonder if that's lowballing it.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4

Person A went to Place B and shot Person C in D Face and that's all well and good...but if I'm going to spend time with someone, I want to know a little bit more.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5

Shannon's chilling performance keeps the movie's wheels spinning

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Riveting. Michael Shannon nails this one. Rarely does a movie end leaving me wanting more.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5

Shannon conveys the contract killer's utter detachment from humanity, providing a mute but menacing presence that wastes few words or emotions.

Full Review | Original Score: C+