Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- bleak
- grueling
- paranoid
- late night viewing
- crime thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film grueling and challenging, with an uncompromising structure and an exceptional transformative performance from Nicole Kidman.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Erin Bell's present-day investigation is intercut with her earlier undercover operation, gradually recontextualizing the consequences of that assignment.
Bell pursues the gang leader's return while moving through the remaining gang members and the history that damaged her life.
Nicole Kidman's heavily transformed performance presents Bell as visibly worn down, compromised, and resistant to conventional detective-hero polish.
The film's aesthetic design and Bell's deteriorated appearance reinforce its harsh, grueling atmosphere rather than offering sleek procedural fantasy.
Films like Destroyer, and why
The Silence of the Lambs
female-led crime thriller centered on compromised police work, moral decay, and a psychologically damaged protagonist
Mystic River
bleak neo-noir atmosphere, fractured chronology, and a detective confronting personal guilt through a violent investigation
Winter's Bone
hard-edged crime drama driven by an uncompromising central performance and a protagonist shaped by past violence
The Departed
nonlinear crime storytelling, damaged investigators, and the lingering consequences of an undercover operation
Movie Details
- Director
- Karyn Kusama
- Release Date
- 2018-12-25
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (824)
Cast
- Nicole Kidman
- Toby Kebbell
- Tatiana Maslany
- Sebastian Stan
- Scoot McNairy
- Bradley Whitford
- Toby Huss
- James Jordan
- Jade Pettyjohn
- Beau Knapp
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Destroyer about?
- A battered Los Angeles detective tears through the remnants of an old gang to confront the undercover past that consumed her.
- What is Destroyer like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Destroyer as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Destroyer violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Destroyer as brutal.
- What did critics think of Destroyer?
- Critics broadly found the film grueling and challenging, with an uncompromising structure and an exceptional transformative performance from Nicole Kidman.
- Which films are like Destroyer?
- Films with a similar feel include The Silence of the Lambs, Mystic River, Winter's Bone, and The Departed.
- How long is Destroyer?
- Destroyer runs 121 minutes.
- Where can I watch Destroyer?
- In United States, Destroyer streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus.
