Dead Man Down

Last updated
Dead Man Down
Dead Man Down Theatrical Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Niels Arden Oplev
Written by J.H. Wyman
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Paul Cameron
Edited by
  • Timothy A. Good
  • Frédéric Thoraval
Music by Jacob Groth
Production
companies
Distributed by FilmDistrict
Release date
  • March 8, 2013 (2013-03-08)
Running time
118 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguagesAlbanian
English
French
Spanish
Budget$30 million [2]
Box office$18.1 million [3]

Dead Man Down is a 2013 American action thriller film [4] written by J.H. Wyman and directed by Danish director Niels Arden Oplev. The film stars Colin Farrell, Noomi Rapace, Dominic Cooper, and Terrence Howard, and was released on March 8, 2013. Dead Man Down was Oplev's first film since The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009), also starring Rapace and scored by Jacob Groth. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Contents

Plot

Victor has infiltrated a criminal empire run by ruthless kingpin Alphonse Hoyt. His objective is to make Alphonse pay for the murder of his wife and young daughter two years earlier. Victor intends to exact revenge on Alphonse through physical and psychological torture before finally killing him.

Victor watches and is watched by Beatrice, a mysterious young woman who lives in the apartment across from his. Beatrice begins to contact Victor and show interest in him. On their first date, Beatrice reveals her true motivation: she has a video of Victor killing a man, and will go to the police unless Victor kills the drunk driver who disfigured her face.

Meanwhile, Alphonse is receiving threats against his life from Victor. During a shoot-out with Jamaicans, whom he believes are responsible for the threats, Victor saves his life and thus gains his trust. As the threats intensify, a man within Alphonse's crew and a friend of Victor's, Darcy, investigates their source. Victor has also kidnapped the brother of Albanian kingpin Ilir Brozi, who was involved in helping Alphonse dispose of Victor's family. Victor plans to pool the Albanians and Alphonse's men together so he can eliminate them all at once.

Victor stages a deliberately failed sniper attack on Alphonse from a rooftop in continuing his plans of torture. However, he nearly is caught in the process and manages to escape thanks to Beatrice, who has been following Victor. Ilir's brother, who was kidnapped by Victor, has been held tied up and blindfolded in an abandoned ship (the S.S. United States , which, although the film is set in New York City, has been docked in Philadelphia since 1996). Victor makes a video in which Ilir's brother claims that he is being held in the basement of Alphonse's warehouse, in an effort to frame Alphonse, which would lure the Albanians to the warehouse in retaliation, thereby having them all gathered in one place. He then kills Ilir's brother. Beatrice is given the memory card with the video to mail to Ilir in order to make it seem like Alphonse's crew was responsible for his brother's kidnapping.

Alphonse, now knowing the threats are coming from someone within his crew, becomes suspicious but reluctant to believe that Victor is the traitor due to him previously saving his life. Victor later notifies Beatrice that he didn't kill the drunk driver so that they can spend more time together, knowing the psychological effect that the murder would have had on her. Victor sets up a trap for the Albanians and Alphonse, but Beatrice reveals through a call that she didn't mail the memory card because she didn't want to see Victor die. At that moment, Darcy, who has found Victor's true intentions while investigating his apartment, subdues Beatrice and informs Victor she is being held captive at Alphonse's house.

As Alphonse and the Albanians gather in the house, Victor crashes into the house with his truck. Victor spares Darcy's life in the ensuing gunfight and makes his way to the top floor where Beatrice is held by Alphonse and Ilir. Beatrice escapes their watch while they are distracted by Victor's successful advance, and she begins to play the video on a computer. As Ilir hears the video, he turns his gun on Alphonse who he believes has betrayed him; they kill each other.

As Victor escapes with Beatrice, Darcy confronts them with his gun raised. When asked if he spared Darcy because he has a wife and child, Victor replies, "No, because they've got you" before dropping his gun. Darcy also lowers his gun and allows the two to leave. Victor and Beatrice travel home on a subway and share a kiss.

Cast

Reception

Dead Man Down received mostly negative reviews from critics. Metacritic gives the film a score of 39/100, based on reviews from 24 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [9] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 41% approval rating from 107 reviews, with an average score of 5.10/10. The site's consensus reads: "While the fine cast keeps Dead Man Down watchable throughout, the film is weighted down by absurd plot twists and a slack pace." [10]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film 1 out of 5 stars, which he called "intensely pointless and silly" and "violent and boring nonsense", with Farrell "smoulderingly, facially immobile". [11] In contrast, film director Takefumi Tsutsui gave the film 5 out of 5 stars. [12] Michael Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter noted "various thematic influences ranging from Rear Window to True Romance " and praised the "potent visuals and a compelling international cast" but ultimately found the film "uninspired" with an unrewarding climax. [13]

The film grossed $5,345,250 in its first box office weekend. [14] Against a budget of $30 million, it went on to earn a total of $18,074,539 worldwide, making it a box office bomb. [3] [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colin Farrell</span> Irish actor

Colin James Farrell is an Irish actor. A leading man in blockbusters and independent films since the 2000s, he has received various awards and nominations, including two Golden Globe Awards and a nomination for an Academy Award. The Irish Times named him Ireland's fifth-greatest film actor in 2020, and Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2023.

Sonny Ola Rapace Jawo is a Swedish actor best known for playing Patrice in the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall.

James Biberi is an Albanian-American actor, best known for his roles as Chris Cooke in Drive (2011), and Ilir in Dead Man Down (2013).

Niels Arden Oplev is a Danish film director and screenwriter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noomi Rapace</span> Swedish actress (born 1979)

Noomi Rapace is a Swedish actress. She achieved international fame with her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish film adaptations of the Millennium series (2009): The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. For her performance in the Millennium series, Rapace won amongst others two Nymphe d'Ors, a Guldbagge Award, and a Satellite Award as Best Actress, and was nominated for a BAFTA Award, an International Emmy Award and a European Film Award. Following the success of the Millennium series, Rapace has gone on to star in American movies.

<i>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo</i> (2009 film) 2009 crime thriller film

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a 2009 Swedish-Danish crime thriller film with German co-production directed by Niels Arden Oplev from a screenplay by Rasmus Heisterberg and Nikolaj Arcel and produced by Søren Stærmose, based on the 2005 novel of the same name by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson, the first entry in his Millennium series. The film stars Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace.

<i>The Girl Who Played with Fire</i> (film) 2009 crime thriller film

The Girl Who Played with Fire is a 2009 Swedish-Danish crime thriller film with German co-production directed by Daniel Alfredson from a screenplay of Jonas Frykberg and produced by Søren Stærmose. It is the sequel to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo from the same year and based on the 2006 novel of the same name by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson, the second entry in his Millennium series.

<i>The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest</i> (film) 2009 crime thriller film

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest is a 2009 Swedish-Danish crime thriller film with German co-production directed by Daniel Alfredson from a screenplay by Ulf Rydberg and produced by Søren Stærmose, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson, the third entry in his Millennium series. Starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist, it was the third and final installment of the film series, released two months following The Girl Who Played with Fire. It also marked the final film appearance of Per Oscarsson, who died in a house fire on 31 December 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FilmDistrict</span> Defunct US film production company

FilmDistrict Distribution LLC was an American independent motion picture company based in Los Angeles. It specialized in acquisitions, distribution, production, and financing. It was founded in September 2010 by Bob Berney and Peter Schlessel in partnership with Graham King and Timothy Headington.

<i>Love Crime</i> 2010 French film

Love Crime is a 2010 French psychological thriller film starring Ludivine Sagnier and Kristin Scott Thomas. It is the last film directed by Alain Corneau, and was released after his death from cancer.

<i>Passion</i> (2012 film) 2012 film

Passion is a 2012 erotic thriller film written and directed by Brian De Palma, starring Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace. It is an English-language remake of Alain Corneau's 2010 thriller film Love Crime, but with the ending greatly altered. The film is an international co-production between France and Germany. The film was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 69th Venice International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendra Morris</span> American singer

Kendra Morris is an American soul singer-songwriter based in New York City, originally from St. Petersburg, Florida.

<i>The Drop</i> (2014 film) 2014 film

The Drop is a 2014 American crime film directed by Michaël R. Roskam and written by Dennis Lehane, based on his 2009 short story "Animal Rescue". It follows Bob Saginowski, a barman who becomes entangled in an investigation after the mafia-run bar where he works is robbed. It stars Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, James Gandolfini, and Matthias Schoenaerts.

<i>Unlocked</i> (2017 film) 2017 film by Michael Apted

Unlocked is a 2017 action thriller film directed by Michael Apted, written by Peter O'Brien, and starring Noomi Rapace, Orlando Bloom, Michael Douglas, John Malkovich and Toni Collette. It was Apted's final film before his death in 2021. It was released in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2017, by Lionsgate.

<i>What Happened to Monday</i> 2017 dystopian science-fiction action-thriller film directed by Tommy Wirkola

What Happened to Monday is a 2017 dystopian science-fiction action thriller film directed by Tommy Wirkola and written by Max Botkin and Kerry Williamson. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Glenn Close and Willem Dafoe.

<i>Stockholm</i> (2018 film) 2018 film by Robert Budreau

Stockholm is a 2018 crime comedy-drama film written, produced and directed by Robert Budreau. It stars Ethan Hawke, Noomi Rapace, Mark Strong, Christopher Heyerdahl, Bea Santos and Thorbjørn Harr. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 19, 2018, and was released on April 12, 2019, by Smith Global Media. The film is loosely based on the true story of the 1973 bank heist and hostage crisis in Stockholm.

<i>Close</i> (2019 film) 2019 UK film directed by Vicky Jewson

Close is a 2019 British action thriller film directed by Vicky Jewson and starring Noomi Rapace. Rapace's character is based on that of Jacquie Davis, one of the world's leading female bodyguards, whose clients have included J. K. Rowling, Nicole Kidman and members of the British royal family. The film was released on 18 January 2019 by Netflix.

<i>The Secrets We Keep</i> 2020 American thriller drama film

The Secrets We Keep is a 2020 American thriller drama film directed by Yuval Adler, from a screenplay by Adler and Ryan Covington. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Joel Kinnaman, and Chris Messina.

<i>Angel of Mine</i> (film) 2019 film

Angel of Mine is a 2019 Australian-American psychological thriller film directed by Kim Farrant and written by Luke Davies and David Regal. It stars Noomi Rapace, Luke Evans, Yvonne Strahovski and Richard Roxburgh. It is a remake of the 2008 French film Mark of an Angel.

<i>Lamb</i> (2021 film) Icelandic folk horror film

Lamb is a 2021 folk horror film directed by Valdimar Jóhannsson, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Sjón. The film's plot is about the birth of a human/sheep hybrid of mysterious origin and the couple who adopts the child as their own. An international co-production between Iceland, Sweden, and Poland, the film stars Noomi Rapace, and marks Valdimar's feature-length directorial debut. Rapace and Béla Tarr were executive producers. After premiering at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, the film was released in Iceland on 24 September 2021. It was selected as the Icelandic entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards.

References

  1. ↑ "DEAD MAN DOWN (15)". British Board of Film Classification . 2020-03-04. Retrieved 2020-03-04.
  2. 1 2 "Dead Man Down". The Numbers .
  3. 1 2 "Dead Man Down". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Dead Man Down". British Board of Film Classification .
  5. ↑ "Dead Man Down Trailer, News, Videos, and Reviews". ComingSoon.net.
  6. ↑ "Dead Man Down Trailer Starring Colin Farrell and Noomi Rapace". MovieWeb .
  7. ↑ "Watch: Moody Trailer For 'Dead Man Down' Starring Noomi Rapace & Colin Farrell - The Playlist". IndieWire . Archived from the original on 2012-12-31. Retrieved 2012-12-29.
  8. ↑ "DEAD MAN DOWN". IM Global . Retrieved 9 January 2013.
  9. ↑ "Dead Man Down Reviews". Metacritic.
  10. ↑ Dead Man Down at Rotten Tomatoes
  11. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (May 2, 2013). "Dead Man Down – review". The Guardian .
  12. ↑ Tsutsui, Takefumi (2013). "Review". Kinema Junpo (in Japanese). 1650: 127.
  13. ↑ Rechtshaffen, Michael (March 7, 2013). "Dead Man Down: Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter .
  14. ↑ "Weekend Box Office Results for March 8-10, 2013". Box Office Mojo . Amazon.com. 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2013-03-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.