Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- smoky
- witty
- restless
- jazz night
- classic crime double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly admired Altman’s inventive jazz-centered period recreation and visual style, while finding the characterizations and plot comparatively thin.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film emphasizes period colors, clothing, automobiles, and advertising as central elements of its 1930s world.
Jazz musicians perform period material at the Hey Hey Club while Altman intercuts their playing with the crime story.
Carolyn's kidnapping forces politician Henry Stilton to mobilize his political connections during an election to save her and Johnny.
Blondie's desperate campaign to free Johnny contrasts with Carolyn's loveless marriage to Henry Stilton.
Films like Kansas City, and why
Thieves Like Us
1930s crime drama with jazz-inflected atmosphere, morally compromised characters, and an ensemble mosaic of social and political forces
Miller's Crossing
stylized gangster drama centered on criminal subcultures, doomed loyalty, and a vividly constructed period world
The Long Goodbye
ensemble crime film using intersecting personal stories and social institutions to examine power, race, and corruption
Bugsy
period gangster drama distinguished by music, political corruption, and a fatalistic atmosphere rather than straightforward procedural plotting
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Altman
- Release Date
- 1996-08-16
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (102)
Cast
- Jennifer Jason Leigh
- Miranda Richardson
- Harry Belafonte
- Michael Murphy
- Dermot Mulroney
- Steve Buscemi
- Brooke Smith
- Jane Adams
- Jeff Feringa
- A.C. Smith
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Kansas City about?
- A desperate wife kidnaps a politician’s spouse to ransom her petty-thief husband, while jazz, race, and machine politics collide in 1930s Kansas City.
- What is Kansas City like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kansas City as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Kansas City violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Kansas City as moderate.
- What did critics think of Kansas City?
- Critics broadly admired Altman’s inventive jazz-centered period recreation and visual style, while finding the characterizations and plot comparatively thin.
- Which films are like Kansas City?
- Films with a similar feel include Thieves Like Us, Miller's Crossing, The Long Goodbye, and Bugsy.
- How long is Kansas City?
- Kansas City runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch Kansas City?
- In United States, Kansas City streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
