Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- irreverent
- boisterous
- sentimental
- cult movie night
- western marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found an energetic, affectionate, and visually exuberant genre tribute whose emotional warmth is offset by uneven storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Julián and his colleagues survive by performing on a decaying Almeria western set after the industry that created it has disappeared.
Carlos seeks a connection to his deceased stuntman father through Julián and the aging faux-cowboy troupe.
The abandoned Spanish western locations become both the characters’ workplace and the arena for their flamboyant resistance.
The troupe responds to pressure with the only language they know: extravagant stunt work, armed resistance, and western theatrics.
Films like 800 Bullets, and why
The Last Action Hero
shared affection for fading western mythology, comic violence, and emotionally bruised performers preserving an obsolete cinematic world
The Good, the Bad and the Weird
shared blend of irreverent comedy, heightened action, eccentric ensemble characters, and affection for genre cinema
The World’s Fastest Indian
shared themes of aging performers, generational connection, theatrical bravado, and bittersweet nostalgia for western spectacle
Common Wealth
shared Spanish setting, darkly comic tone, family estrangement, and abrasive emotional melodrama
Movie Details
- Director
- Álex de la Iglesia
- Release Date
- 2002-10-18
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (115)
Cast
- Sancho Gracia
- Ángel de Andrés López
- Carmen Maura
- Eusebio Poncela
- Luis Castro
- Manuel Tallafé
- Enrique Martínez
- Luciano Federico
- Eduardo Gómez
- Terele Pávez
Common questions
- What is 800 Bullets about?
- A grieving former stuntman rallies his unruly western-show troupe to defend their decaying Almeria set, reconnect with his grandson, and resist redevelopment through spectacular old-school bravado.
- What is 800 Bullets like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of 800 Bullets as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is 800 Bullets violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in 800 Bullets as graphic.
- What did critics think of 800 Bullets?
- Critics broadly found an energetic, affectionate, and visually exuberant genre tribute whose emotional warmth is offset by uneven storytelling.
- Which films are like 800 Bullets?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Action Hero, The Good, the Bad and the Weird, The World’s Fastest Indian, and Common Wealth.
- How long is 800 Bullets?
- 800 Bullets runs 124 minutes.
