Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- understated
- wry
- period-authentic
- crime movie night
- period drama viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the sharp cast and absorbing period detail appealing, but felt the film lacked dramatic tension and narrative energy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Willis recruits Joe, Jess, and Dock into a robbery career shaped by their poverty and brotherly bonds.
The story foregrounds 1920s rural life, banks, trains, safes, nitroglycerin, and the mechanics of organized robbery.
The Newton brothers meticulously prepare bank and train robberies, including the use of explosives to breach safes.
The brothers abandon farming after Willis concludes that rural poverty offers them no viable future.
Films like The Newton Boys, and why
Bonnie and Clyde
period crime drama centered on an outlaw family, with understated humor and historical detail
Public Enemies
true-crime period piece combining bank robbery, character drama, and a charismatic criminal ensemble
The Untouchables
stylized American crime story about professional criminals operating during a defining historical era
The Place Beyond the Pines
brother-centered outlaw drama balancing crime, family loyalty, and rural hardship
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Linklater
- Release Date
- 1998-03-26
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (208)
Cast
- Matthew McConaughey
- Skeet Ulrich
- Ethan Hawke
- Vincent D'Onofrio
- Dwight Yoakam
- Gail Cronauer
- Julianna Margulies
- Jena Karam
- Casey McAuliffe
- Regina Mae Matthews
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 The Newton Boys about?
- Four impoverished brothers turn bank robbery into a meticulously planned family business before attempting the biggest train heist of their era.
- What is The Newton Boys like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Newton Boys as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Newton Boys violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Newton Boys as mild.
- What did critics think of The Newton Boys?
- Critics broadly found the sharp cast and absorbing period detail appealing, but felt the film lacked dramatic tension and narrative energy.
- Which films are like The Newton Boys?
- Films with a similar feel include Bonnie and Clyde, Public Enemies, The Untouchables, and The Place Beyond the Pines.
- How long is The Newton Boys?
- The Newton Boys runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Newton Boys?
- In United States, The Newton Boys streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
