A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

88% Tomatometer 218 Reviews 76% Audience Score 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. Read More Read Less

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A History of Violence

What to Know

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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Critics Reviews

View All (218) Critics Reviews
A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Christy Lemire Associated Press The less you know about this movie before seeing it -- and you really should see it -- the better. Apr 15, 2013 Full Review A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (2) David Denby New Yorker 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. Apr 15, 2013 Full Review A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Joe Morgenstern Wall Street Journal 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. Apr 15, 2013 Full Review A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Diane Carson KDHX (St. Louis) Cronenberg brilliantly elicits a continuum of emotions, elicits our involvement as well as our reflection. This is an astonishing feat made all the more effective by a complex and subtle performance by Vigo Mortensen... May 21, 2024 Full Review A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Matt Brunson Film Frenzy In much the same manner that David Lynch deconstructed the myth of the squeaky-clean small Southern town in Blue Velvet, so too does David Cronenberg take a hatchet to the facade of bland Midwestern homeliness in A History of Violence. Rated: 3.5/4 Dec 26, 2023 Full Review A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Graeme Tuckett Stuff.co.nz A History of Violence is one of the key films of the first decade of the 21st century. Jun 7, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews

Aaron D Good, but not great. The vicious, unforgiving violence is portrayed real well with convincing roles throughout. Great musical score, and an entertaining story that does not bore, even if it's themes aren't overwhelmingly thoughtful. It's stuck in an uncomfortable limbo between an artistic take on violence and a formulaic action flick. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/04/24 Full Review Howard H Thought provoking although predictable. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/15/24 Full Review Varun Raw, very brutal action movie, the protagonist has no backstory to establish but still is very much effective the way story carried on.Some questionable intimate scenes other than that was overall good action drama with lots of intensity! Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/11/24 Full Review Alec C Are we inherently violent or is it something that we choose to be? Tom Stall is a seemingly unknowing coffee shop owner, until a stick--up unleashes dark impulses that spurs ghosts from the past to hunt him and his family down. This film takes lengths to ensure that the violence feels completely unexpected, making it much more shocking when it actually happens! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/24 Full Review Anderson O Among one of the Great performances by Viggo, a History of Violence tells a tale of attempting to remove your past and guiding a new life, and the consequences of the past life coming back to haunt you when making deals with those whom strings are attached. Carl Forgarty is one of the great psychological mob villians in comicbook adaptation history. And William hurt's character has a great performance as well.Star studded casting in the amazement of David's directing style. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/28/23 Full Review Jake M Excellent movie! On the surface it seems predictable, yet delivers many surprises in how events unfold. It's predictably unpredictable, if you will. Very well written and acted, thought provoking examination of the duality of human beings- how good people can remain good while being capable of extreme violence under the right circ*mstances. Also a great redemption story about a bad guy turned good. Highly recommended! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A History of Violence

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Cast & Crew

David Cronenberg Director Viggo Mortensen Tom Stall Maria Bello Edie Stall William Hurt Richie Cusack Ashton Holmes Jack Stall Stephen McHattie Leland Jones
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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 36m

Sound Mix
Surround

Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
Most Popular at Home Now
A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

FAQs

What is the Rotten Tomatoes rating for A History of Violence? ›

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 216 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.90/10.

Why is History of Violence rated R? ›

Some characters are seen smoking and drinking. There is a sex scene involving thrusting between a married couple and buttocks are briefly seen, including a woman's pubic area. This title has: Too much violence.

Who is streaming A History of Violence? ›

Rent A History of Violence on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Is Leo a copy of History of Violence? ›

Lokesh Kanagaraj has claimed Leo is a tribute to David Cronenberg's A History of Violence (2005). Posters of A History of Violence and Leo. The new-gen Tamil filmmakers don't enjoy the same luxury as the old ones like AR Murugadoss to unofficially remake Hollywood movies in India anymore.

Is A History of Violence worth watching? ›

A fascinating exercise in cinematic restraint resulting in a captivating, not to be missed film. Fresh score. The less you know about this movie before seeing it -- and you really should see it -- the better.

What has 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes? ›

List
NameYearNo. of reviews
The Man Who Laughs192822
Un Chien Andalou192925
M193164
The Public Enemy193133
152 more rows

What is the twist in A History of Violence? ›

[Spoiler Warning] In a disturbing twist, Tom's brother, Richie, who happens to be part of a major crime syndicate, orders one of his goons to kill his brother by strangling him. Instead, Tom kills the man and one other guard with his bare hands by breaking their necks.

Is Rated R worse than mature? ›

Rated G: Suggested for general audiences. Rated M: Suggested for mature audiences - Parental discretion advised. Rated R: Restricted – Persons under 16 not admitted, unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian. Rated X: Persons under 16 not admitted.

Does Netflix have A History of Violence? ›

Watch A History of Violence | Netflix.

What is A History of Violence based on? ›

Directed by David Cronenberg (Scanners, Videodrome, The Fly, Naked Lunch, Crash), adapted from John Wagner and Vince Locke's graphic novel by screenwriter Josh Olson, shot by the British cinematographer and Cronenberg's favorite collaborator Peter Suschitzky, enhanced by the score of another Cronenberg's career-long ...

Is A History of Violence a horror movie? ›

As is evident with 2005's 'A History of Violence', which is as long away from horror as one can get. Instead a mix of thriller and drama, which for Cronenberg back then was pretty much completely different.

Is History of Violence a comic? ›

A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE is one of the few books deserving to be called a "graphic novel." Don't miss it! The art is cool and I liked this comic as much if not better than the movie.

Is Leo better than History of Violence? ›

I watched History of Violence after, and I hate to say it I don't understand the hype. The first half was amazing, the world building was concise and everything seemed so sharp.

Is Leo in LCU? ›

The first feature of the universe Kaithi was released in 2019, while the second installment Vikram was released in 2022 and third installment Leo was released in 2023 with Leo being the highest grosser of all LCU films.

What is the age of Leo in history? ›

Overview
AgeStart DateEnd Date
Age of Leo10750 BCE8600 BCE
Age of Cancer8600 BCE6450 BCE
Age of Gemini6450 BCE4300 BCE
Age of Taurus4300 BCE2150 BCE
5 more rows

What documentary has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes? ›

Daughters Holds A 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Daughters is quite simply one of the most impactful documentaries of the year. This tearjerking account of a father-daughter dance in a prison tells a larger story of the long-term effects of separation from incarcerated parents.

What is considered a high rating on Rotten Tomatoes? ›

If 60% of reviews are positive, the movie is given a “Fresh” status, but if positive reviews fall below that benchmark, it is deemed “Rotten.” A popular piece of media will typically fall between the 70-90% range, but rarely, a project will receive a 100% score.

What does a 90% Rotten Tomatoes mean? ›

The website keeps track of all the reviews counted for each film and calculates the percentage of positive reviews. If the positive reviews make up 60% or more, the film is considered "fresh". If the positive reviews are less than 60%, the film is considered "rotten".

What does 74 Rotten Tomatoes mean? ›

As the reviews of a given film accumulate, the Rotten Tomatoes score measures the percentage that are more positive than negative, and assigns an overall fresh or rotten rating to the movie. Scores of over 60 percent are considered fresh, and scores of 59 percent and under are rotten.

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