Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer
Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified.
Fandango

AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
- Fandango
- AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew
  
  Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info
- Cinemark Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Regal Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You haven’t finished your review yet, want to submit as-is?

You can always edit your review after.
Are you sure?

Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers.
Want to submit changes to your review before closing?

Killer's Kiss Videos

View All Videos (11)

Killer's Kiss Photos

View All Photos (11)

Movie Info

Davey Gordon (Jamie Smith), a New York City boxer aging out of his profession, meets dancer Gloria Price (Irene Kane), and they begin a romance. However, their budding relationship is interrupted by Gloria's violent boss, Vincent Rapallo (Frank Silvera), who has eyes for his employee. The two decide to skip town, but before they can, Vincent and his thugs abduct Gloria, and Davey is forced to search for her among the most squalid corners of the city, with his enemy hiding in the shadows.

Genre:

crime, drama, mystery and thriller
Original Language:

English
Director:

Stanley Kubrick
Producer:

Stanley Kubrick, Morris Bousel
Release Date (Theaters):

Nov 5, 1955 wide
Release Date (Streaming):

Mar 15, 2016
Runtime:

1h 7m
Production Co:

United Artists, Minotaur Productions
Sound Mix:

Mono
Aspect Ratio:

Flat (1.37:1)

Cast & Crew

Frank Silvera
Vincent Rapallo

Jamie Smith
Davy Gordon

Irene Kane
Gloria Price

Jerry Jarrett
Albert

Mike Dana
Gangster

Felice Orlandi
Gangster

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Killer's Kiss

All Critics (21) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (18) | Rotten (3)

The young writer-director-photographer-editor of this un-promisingly titled film has a good deal of talent.

March 30, 2020 | Full Review…

Gavin Lambert
Sight and Sound
Kubrick's second feature shows his promise as a powerful and iconic director in motifs and style.

October 3, 2007 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
Kubrick's low-key lensing occasionally catches the flavor of the seamy side of Gotham life.

May 8, 2007 | Full Review…

Variety Staff
Variety
A noirish thriller with experimental trimmings that holds back most of the emotions, sensitive as well as otherwise, that threatened to make Kubrick's first feature mawkish.

February 12, 2007 | Full Review…

Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
Kubrick makes the most of flashback and dream sequences, and a surreal climactic fight in a warehouse full of mannequins.

February 9, 2006 | Full Review…

Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Kubrick worked in an uncharacteristically naturalistic style despite the genre material, with mixed but still fascinating results.

May 20, 2003 | Rating: 3/5

Janet Maslin
New York Times
Though short and simple, the film is a fascinating exploration of man's infatuation with (or inability to escape from) violence.

August 23, 2020 | Rating: 6/10 | Full Review…

Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
...a must for Kubrick aficionados...

January 8, 2015 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Faced with hardly any budget to speak of, the 26-year-old Kubrick pulled out every trick that an independent filmmaker of no means could ever hope to stumble upon.

March 31, 2014 | Rating: 7/10 | Full Review…

Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy
Frankly, it's a pretty wretched story, but this small, cheap film has style to spare.

March 6, 2008 | Full Review…

Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
It's tense, compelling and steeped in an urban anxiety that's strangely contemporary.

October 3, 2007 | Full Review…

Film4
Killer's Kiss is no one's idea of a great film but it displays much evidence of future brilliance.

February 12, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…

TV Guide

View All Critic Reviews (21)

Audience Reviews for Killer's Kiss

Nov 28, 2012

A very well shot noir story, with some beautiful scenes, like the ballet scene, the last fighting scene amongst others, with a story that's a bit too simplistic but works for the most part. Feels more like an exercise for Kubrick's to perfect his technique rather than anything else but it works and is a welcome addition to his upcoming masterpieces.

Francisco G Super Reviewer
Oct 11, 2012

I don't think it's fair just because Kubrick was a young director that's an excuse to over rate this film. Romero, Nolan, and Richard Kelly had possibly there best works in there debut films. This was just wasn't great, Kubrick used some intresting techniques, by just shooting street props for moments of time, but that's not reason to make it fresh. For a 67 minute film it sure is dry, and I for the life of me can't understand what was attractive about that selfish lady, she was just as bad as the one from The Killing. There were also some very clear plot holes in the screen play, ones that were easy to spot too.

Daniel D Super Reviewer
Aug 04, 2012

It's understandable why "Killer's Kiss" is left out of the conversation when people talk about Stanley Kubrick. It's his most unremarkable outing; a film that's greatly lacking in several crucial aspects. Poor acting, shallow writing and a painfully slow pace contribute to the film's overall blandness. The photography and editing are unique in places, but for the most part, "Killer's Kiss" is forgettable. I understand that it was a low-budget venture, but since when does having a low budget call for poor craftsmanship?

Stephen E Super Reviewer
Feb 27, 2012

Kubrick's second feature, and first noir, is a thrill to watch, if only to see the seeds of a budding legend be sown in front of your very eyes. Without exaggeration, Killer's Kiss features some of the best deep focus long shots I have ever seen, and the visual sophistication Kubrick employs (with a keen emphasis on motif, symbolism and mood lighting) demonstrates that even early on, he was worlds ahead of many of his colleagues in terms of directorial aptitude and his command of cinematic language. No one shot is the same, no one angle is replicated. Unfortunately, the scant running time inhibits any real chance at character development (or narrative development, for that matter) but that's okay -- there's more than enough to marvel at.

Jonathan H Super Reviewer