Child 44
2015, Mystery and thriller, 2h 17m
83 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat to know
There's a gripping story at the heart of Child 44 and a solid performance from Tom Hardy in the lead, but it all still adds up to a would-be thriller that lacks sufficient thrills. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Leo Demidov
Gen. Mikhail Nesterov
Raisa
Vasili
Vladimir Malevich
Alexei Andreyev
News & Interviews for Child 44
Critic Reviews for Child 44
All Critics (83) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (61)
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In the end, the film lacks an imagination, and that unfortunately winds up dragging it through the mud.
April 23, 2015 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review… -
The movie hints at a riveting story but is incapable of delivering it.
April 19, 2015 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review… -
Hardy is very odd, as usual.
April 19, 2015 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review… -
The story is a confusing bore that leads achingly slowly to a solution as perfunctory as it is implausible.
April 18, 2015 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review… -
Given these actors and the ravishing decrepitude of the locations and costumes and the lustrous cinematography of Oliver Wood, I found it more than watchable the whole way through.
April 18, 2015 | Full Review… -
Equally bloated and scatterbrained.
April 17, 2015 | Rating: 1.5/4 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Child 44
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Dec 26, 2018Tom Hardy is in fine form and the film has atmosphere, but the pacing is slow and the subplots outshine the central story. The villains are plentiful and they take away from the central villain who is murdering all the children. The filmmakers should have focused on the core story and abandoned some of the subplots that consume the running time. There was a better film here and if you believe the backstory of the extra long running time, you might assume a directors version could be out there. The film that was released was quite flawed and never attempts to answer the questions we have. I liked the acting and the overall story, but as a serial killer movie, this fails miserably. 26/12/2018.Brendan N Super Reviewer
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Apr 24, 2016Such a prolific tale and one of my favorite books, but in this case it didn't transfer to film well. I think there was good performances by the actors and it had good cinematography, it lacks in the screenplay story. I think a lot more could have been done to have this be an eye opening top notch thriller, as it stands it is a long drawn out cat and mouse tale.Jarrin R Super Reviewer
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Apr 08, 2016Great cast and idea ruined by an overblown screenplay and terrible lighting.Marcus W Super Reviewer
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Feb 29, 2016Ambitious, but utterly effective and insightful, Child 44 is a slow-burn thriller that serves as an equally effective historical piece. Set in post-world War II Soviet Russia and based on the novel of the same name, Child 44 follows the exploits of a mid-level Soviet secret police agent, Leo Demidov, who finds himself mired in two controversies-one involving the suspected treason by his wife, and the other regarding a string of child murders the State refuses to acknowledge for, as Stalin would say, "There are no murders in paradise". Of all the things Child 44 does right, I found the greatest to be the accurate and devastating picture it painted of Stalin-era Soviet Russia. It was a brutal time, a time of poverty, paranoia, secrecy, and self-delusion. Stalin was a monster, and his regime monstrous. For what are likely a number of reasons, Hollywood has shied away from depicting its injustices. Child 44, however, captured all of this, and did so with skillful nuance and through the eyes of one of the regime's brighter men-who must contend with his own better judgement every day. This historical backdrop amplified the other plots at hand, and makes for enthralling viewing. The direction is methodical and does a strong job with pacing what is otherwise a very large plot, a plot that encompasses a litany of subplots and inter-character dynamics. What perhaps anchor this the most are the performances, with a masterful cast. For his part, Tom Hardy stole the show, inhibiting every scene with an undeniable presence. This, combined with sharp cinematography, make for a film that is compelling from start to finish. Is the film perfect? No, it can rightfully be described as "overstuffed" and a bit bloated with its running time. There are moments, to be sure, when one thinks-I bet this worked better as a novel. There were a couple of points where the film could've ended, but didn't-and that is to its detriment. With that granted, I still felt it did quite a strong job staying coherent and indeed, poignant, despite a hefty script. Excellent. 4/5 StarsJeffrey M Super Reviewer
Child 44 Quotes
| General Mikhail Nesterov: | There is no murder in paradise. |
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