Black Snake Moan

2007

Black Snake Moan

Critics Consensus

Uninhibited performances, skillful direction, and a killer blues soundtrack elevate Black Snake Moan beyond its outlandish premise.

66%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 162

69%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 413,556

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Black Snake Moan Photos

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Movie Info

When a weathered, God-fearing ex-blues musician finds the town nymphomaniac severely beaten and left for dead on the side of the road, he vows to cure her of her wicked ways in Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer's raw and unflinching follow-up. Lazarus (Samuel L. Jackson) is a hard-living ex-blues guitarist for whom the troubled days are beginning to outnumber the good. Rae (Christina Ricci) is a 22-year-old sex addict whose wild ways are finally about to catch up with her. When Lazarus discovers Rae covered in dust and clinging to life on the side of the road, he takes her in and nurses her back to health; but Lazarus isn't your typical caregiver, he's more concerned for Rae's immortal soul than he is for her physical well-being. Now, after chaining Rae down and employing the power of the Good Book to curb the salacious seductress' hedonistic ways, Lazarus will be forced to confront his own darkest demons in order to save the soul of a woman whose one-way ticket to hell has already been paid in full. Now, as Lazarus wages a righteous struggle to redeem the soul of the fallen Rae while simultaneously ensuring that his own life hasn't been lived in vain, the situation threatens to explode as Rae's possessive boyfriend, Ronnie (Justin Timberlake) -- a roughneck Guardsman currently preparing for a tour of duty in Iraq -- comes searching for his missing lover. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
  • Rating:
    R (for strong sexual content, language, some violence and drug use)
  • Genre:
    Drama
  • Directed By:
    Craig Brewer
  • Written By:
    Craig Brewer
  • In Theaters:
     wide
  • On Disc/Streaming:
  • Box Office:
    $9,262,318
  • Runtime:
  • Studio:
    Paramount Vantage

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson
as Lazarus Woods
Christina Ricci
as Rae
Stephanie Allain
S. Epatha Merkerson
as Angela
Justin Timberlake
as Ronnie
John Singleton
Adriane Lenox
as Rose Woods
Kim Richards
as Sandy
Neimus K. Williams
as Lincoln
Leonard L. Thomas
as Deke Woods
Ruby Wilson
as Mayella
John Pickle
as Arty
Cedric Burnside
as Himself
Son House
as Himself
Kenny Brown
as Himself
Leonard Thomas
as Deke Woods
Charles Skip Pitts
as Charlie
David Banner
as Tehronne
Michael Raymond-James
as Gill
Jeff Pope
as Batson
Willie Hall
as Pinetop
Charles Skip Pitts
as Charlie
Jared Hopkins
as Auto Worker
Tosh Newman
as Conner
Cody Block
as Bryan
Benjamin Rednour
as Guardsman
John Cothran Jr.
as Reverend R.L.
Amy Lavere
as Jesse
Clare Grant (II)
as Kell
John Malloy
as Gene
TC Sharpe
as Archie
John Still
as Herman
David Chapman
as Red
Jolynne Palmer
as Ella Mae
Kim Justis
as Waitress
Raymond Neal
as Herschel
Claude Phillips
as Bojo
Raymond Pearl
as Hershel
Carnell Pepper
as Melvin
Craig Brewer
Marc Franklin
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Critic Reviews for Black Snake Moan

All Critics (162) | Top Critics (46) | Fresh (107) | Rotten (55)

  • Jackson's elegant performance gives the frequently tough to swallow story some credence.

    June 16, 2007 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

    Phelim O'Neill

    Guardian
    Top Critic

  • It's so profoundly, mind-blowingly offensive that you almost have to admire the writer/director Craig Brewer's nerve.

    May 19, 2007 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Wendy Ide

    Times (UK)
    Top Critic

  • This is an unusually bold film, but it's also a morality tale that's riddled with hypocrisy and is frankly offensive. Not a blues movie as much as a blue movie.

    May 15, 2007 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

    Stella Papamichael

    BBC.com
    Top Critic

  • Delightfully outrageous, Black Snake Moan is an explosive mixture of sex, race and down-South swamp water.

    March 3, 2007 | Rating: 4/6 | Full Review…

    Mark Holcomb

    Time Out
    Top Critic

  • Pitched uncomfortably but compellingly between homage and exploitation in its big-hearted exploration of the steamiest corners of black life.

    March 3, 2007 | Rating: B | Full Review…

    Nathan Rabin

    AV Club
    Top Critic

  • For Black Snake Moan to work any sort of magic, it must be viewed as a blues riff on damaged souls and their desperate need for salvation.

    March 2, 2007 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

    Connie Ogle

    Miami Herald
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (162)

Audience Reviews for Black Snake Moan

  • Jun 22, 2016
    Jackson plays an old blues musician who finds Ricci, a childhood sex abuse victim, and tries to get her to change her ways. It's a very interesting story and the dynamic between Jackson and Ricci is well played out. Not a huge fan of the film overall but it's not terrible.
    Patrick W Super Reviewer
  • Feb 01, 2013
    Black Snake Moan is one of those films that had the potential of being a great film, but I felt it fell quite short. For me, this was a film that was quite hard to get into, and it simply didn't deliver. The performances were quite good, but overall this was a decent affair with a plot that was interesting, but was quite eccentric. Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson have good chemistry here, and it's the film's highpoint. However the film's low point is the pacing of the film, I felt that though it had it an interesting plot, the picture moved too slowly. Films that tell a captivating plot and are well paced are good to watch. However Black Snake Moan just didn't have the fire to keep you involved from start to finish. The performances were good and the plot was well thought out, but at the same time, this was a tiresome affair. I felt that the film could have been much better and that director Craig Brewer could have rewritten the script at least a few times to really give the film its just due. This could have been a stellar picture, but it was plagued by too many lows and it just ended up being a decent flick at best. Black Snake Moan is not a film that warrants multiple viewings, and despite the cast and interesting concept, I was disappointed with the final result. Samuel L. Jackson saved the film from being a total bore fest and he really commanded the screen in his performance. If only the ideas could have been thought out slightly better, then I think this would have for a truly compelling feature that would have surely been a great and memorable piece of cinema. Alas the result is an underwhelming movie that leaves a lot to be desired in terms of substance to its plot.
    Alex r Super Reviewer
  • Dec 05, 2012
    Really weird. I'm still not sure if I liked or not, but it was interesting enough. Christina Ricci doesn't really do it for me. But Samuel is his usual cranky self but he sure can sing! He's pretty good if you ask me. Justin Timberlake should stick to singing instead of acting, he's not convincing enough when you hear that whiny little voice in the back of you're head every time his face shows (I won't admit that I secretly liked his debut-solo album).
    Saskia D Super Reviewer
  • Nov 18, 2012
    Even if it doesn't totally work, it's has moments of brilliance and shows that Craig Brewer has something special.
    Graham J Super Reviewer
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