Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- brooding
- tense
- melancholic
- late night viewing
- dark drama marathon
What critics said
Critics found a darkly atmospheric and committed rural crime drama whose performances and family-trauma premise were stronger than its uneven, familiar storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Arlis's childhood memory of his father's murder is reactivated when Roy returns and Kay unknowingly enters Arlis's life.
The Texas small-town setting, roadhouses, burglary, murder, and abusive family history create a distinctly gothic crime register.
Kay and Arlis develop a relationship while both remain unaware of the connection between their families and the old crime.
The narrative reaches back roughly thirty years to Arlis's witnessing of his father murdering a family.
Films like Flesh and Bone, and why
The River Wild
shared rural crime drama, family trauma, morally fraught romance, and simmering thriller tension
A Simple Plan
shared dysfunctional family dynamics, buried violence, intimate suspense, and dark emotional drama
Sling Blade
shared southern gothic atmosphere, abusive family legacy, crime, and psychologically charged relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Steve Kloves
- Release Date
- 1993-11-05
- Runtime
- 126 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (106)
Cast
- Meg Ryan
- Dennis Quaid
- James Caan
- Gwyneth Paltrow
- Julia McNeal
- Ron Kuhlman
- Jerry Swindall
- Ryan Bohls
- Ez Perez
- Craig Erickson
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Flesh and Bone about?
- A haunted Texas drifter falls in love with the surviving daughter of a family destroyed by his father, just as the past comes looking for them.
- What is Flesh and Bone like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Flesh and Bone as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Flesh and Bone violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Flesh and Bone as brutal.
- What did critics think of Flesh and Bone?
- Critics found a darkly atmospheric and committed rural crime drama whose performances and family-trauma premise were stronger than its uneven, familiar storytelling.
- Which films are like Flesh and Bone?
- Films with a similar feel include The River Wild, A Simple Plan, and Sling Blade.
- How long is Flesh and Bone?
- Flesh and Bone runs 126 minutes.
- Where can I watch Flesh and Bone?
- In United States, Flesh and Bone is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
