Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- brooding
- visceral
- classic action night
- crime film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly find the story bare-bones and derivative of American hard-boiled cinema, while praising its extraordinary action set pieces, especially the opening car chase and final revenge.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film combines Italian crime-cinema production with hard-boiled fatalism, shadowy criminal institutions, and a doomed professional hit man.
The dialogue-free opening pursuit uses engine noise, pedestrians, narrow pathways, and staircases to create unusually visceral automotive action.
Jeff survives a bloody double-cross, tracks the shooter and Vanessa, and becomes trapped in successive acts of vengeance and retribution.
Crime boss Al Weber blackmails Jeff and pressures the fiercely independent gunman to join his organization after Jeff refuses cooperation.
Films like Violent City, and why
Point Blank
hard-boiled neo-noir, revenge-driven hitman narrative, and highly physical car chases
Bullitt
stylized crime thriller tension, urban pursuit, and kinetic automotive action
The French Connection
grounded crime action, relentless pursuit, and landmark car-chase staging
The Big Racket
Italian crime cinema atmosphere, professional criminals, and violent revenge plotting
Movie Details
- Director
- Sergio Sollima
- Release Date
- 1970-09-17
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (109)
Cast
- Charles Bronson
- Telly Savalas
- Jill Ireland
- Michel Constantin
- Umberto Orsini
- Rai Sanders
- Benjamin Lev
- Peter Dane
- George Savalas
- Beryl Salvatore
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Full Moon Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Kino Film Collection
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Violent City about?
- A betrayed professional hit man wages a relentless revenge campaign while resisting a crime boss’s attempt to claim him as an enforcer.
- What is Violent City like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Violent City as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Violent City violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Violent City as graphic.
- What did critics think of Violent City?
- Critics broadly find the story bare-bones and derivative of American hard-boiled cinema, while praising its extraordinary action set pieces, especially the opening car chase and final revenge.
- Which films are like Violent City?
- Films with a similar feel include Point Blank, Bullitt, The French Connection, and The Big Racket.
- How long is Violent City?
- Violent City runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Violent City?
- In United States, Violent City streams on Amazon Prime Video, Full Moon Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Kino Film Collection.
