A History of Violence

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2:31

A History of Violence

R

2005

1h 35m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

222 Reviews

76%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

When a pair of petty criminals attempt to rob his small-town diner, Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) quickly and easily kills them both. In the flush of news coverage of Tom's seemingly heroic actions, a threatening stranger named Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) comes to town, fingering the unassuming family man as long-missing Philadelphia mobster Joey Cusack. To the horror of his wife, Edie (Maria Bello), and teenage son, Jack (Ashton Holmes), Tom finds he must confront his violent past.

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Critics 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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Christy Lemire

Associated Press

04/15/2013

The less you know about this movie before seeing it -- and you really should see it -- the better.

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David Denby

The New Yorker

04/15/2013

Cronenberg's direction, mirroring the split in Tom, is alternately measured and frighteningly explosive, and, as always, he gives the movie a nasty underlay of sexual perversity.

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Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

04/15/2013

This peculiarly predictable picture has been calculated, or miscalculated, to set up certain expectations, fulfill them, and then do the same thing again, thereby giving us a chance to see what's coming and, at least in theory, be shocked.

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Douglas Davidson

Elements of Madness

Oct 21

Smoothly-paced, profoundly quiet, and possessing bursts of disquieting violence, "A History of Violence" is as affecting now as it was in its original 2005 release, perhaps more-so in the current landscape of cinematic entertainment.

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

Oct 20

4.5/5

A History of Violence may not be that complicated a tale, but with a marvelous, Oscar-nominated screenplay by Josh Olson and an incredible ensemble, it becomes a riveting experience that utilizes its story elements to deliver a compelling narrative.

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Joshua Ryan

FandomWire

Oct 10

9/10

It’s darkly comedic, brutally violent, and strangely orchestrated in the way that only Cronenberg can manage.

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Ian S

@RT48225084 1d

Simple story, well acted by a very good cast. Maybe some of it stretched credulity but there was also a satiric tone to the movie in parts. Not one of my favourite Croneneberg movies but pretty good and the downbeat ending made sense,

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Page P

@RT04751771 2d

Horrible. Completely unrealistic. The main character gets stabbed in the foot from the top with a big huge knife and the next day. He’s walking in the day after that he runs home from work. He wouldn’t be able to put that foot on the ground, much less run or walk on it.

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Leprechaun K

@LeprechaunKing Jul 2

This isn't Cronenberg's best work but Mortensen holds it together. Harris and Hurt deliver as always. It is entertaining enough.

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Kevin S

@SayHeyKid1230 Jun 29

Good flick with the most random sex scenes.

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Drew F.

@Drewfrost20 Jun 23

This movie is very solid. I nice sharp 90 minutes of action. A little predictable but still a good watch.

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prawnda S

@RT72497680 Jun 21

this is a shell of a cronenberg. just watch eastern promises. there's way too much histrionics, the writing is at an elementary school level fairly often, and the amount of tension never seems earned for what the film is trying to present. this is mainly because of the whiny and anxious acting from much of the cast and insistently out of place score. the music is plagiarized directly from lord of the rings way too obviously, and the main themes seem entirely geared towards reminding the audience that viggo was aragorn. this got to the point where i began fast forwarding every single time the music began, and the score didnt start doing anything besides lotr until well over half way through the runtime.

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David Cronenberg

Director

Viggo Mortensen

Tom Stall

Maria Bello

Edie Stall

William Hurt

Richie Cusack

Ashton Holmes

Jack Stall

Stephen McHattie

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A History of Violence: Trailer 1

2:31

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Synopsis

When a pair of petty criminals attempt to rob his small-town diner, Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) quickly and easily kills them both. In the flush of news coverage of Tom's seemingly heroic actions, a threatening stranger named Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) comes to town, fingering the unassuming family man as long-missing Philadelphia mobster Joey Cusack. To the horror of his wife, Edie (Maria Bello), and teenage son, Jack (Ashton Holmes), Tom finds he must confront his violent past.

Director: David Cronenberg
Producer: J.C. Spink, Chris Bender
Screenwriter: Josh Olson
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: Benderspink
Rating: R (Language|Graphic Sexuality|Nudity|Some Drug Use|Strong Brutal Violence)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 30, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 29, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.5M
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)