Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- wistful
- brooding
- reflective evening
- quiet weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the evocative cinematography and Sam Shepard's authenticity while finding the story meandering and insufficiently purposeful.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Howard abandons a film set to locate a possible child and confront the relationships he neglected.
The film follows Howard through Utah and Montana, with evocative widescreen landscapes contrasting his inner emptiness.
Howard is a once-famous Western star whose career, self-image, and reckless lifestyle have collapsed.
Howard's search for a possible child intersects with Doreen, Earl, Sky, and other lives shaped by his absence.
Films like Don't Come Knocking, and why
Paris, Texas
melancholic road movie about aging, estrangement, and the search for personal meaning
The Straight Story
quietly tragic western-inflected drama centered on an alienated older man and emotional reckoning
The Last Picture Show
wistful character drama about a fading performer confronting mortality and missed relationships
The Ice Storm
intimate, melancholic drama about damaged adults seeking reconciliation and belonging
Movie Details
- Director
- Wim Wenders
- Release Date
- 2005-08-25
- Runtime
- 123 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (149)
Cast
- Sam Shepard
- Jessica Lange
- Tim Roth
- Gabriel Mann
- Sarah Polley
- Fairuza Balk
- Eva Marie Saint
- James Roday Rodriguez
- Jeffrey Vincent Parise
- Majandra Delfino
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Don't Come Knocking about?
- A washed-up Western star crosses the American landscape seeking the child and meaning he abandoned in his reckless past.
- What is Don't Come Knocking like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Don't Come Knocking as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Don't Come Knocking violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Don't Come Knocking as mild.
- What did critics think of Don't Come Knocking?
- Critics broadly admired the evocative cinematography and Sam Shepard's authenticity while finding the story meandering and insufficiently purposeful.
- Which films are like Don't Come Knocking?
- Films with a similar feel include Paris, Texas, The Straight Story, The Last Picture Show, and The Ice Storm.
- How long is Don't Come Knocking?
- Don't Come Knocking runs 123 minutes.
- Where can I watch Don't Come Knocking?
- In United States, Don't Come Knocking is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
