Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- gritty
- paranoid
- foreboding
- late night thriller viewing
- 1990s crime marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film stylish and atmospheric, with an outstanding ensemble led by Nicolas Cage's highly intense performance, though the script delivers tension only intermittently.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jimmy's attempted rehabilitation is continually threatened by gangsters and police surveillance across a tense New York underworld.
Jimmy is explicitly trying to go straight but accepts a dangerous driving job when his friend's life is threatened.
Little Junior is presented as a violent, powerful, asthmatic thug whose flamboyance and wistful air dominate the film's reception and dramatic identity.
Critics specifically describe the film as noir-ish, slick, and big on atmosphere while it moves through prisons, city streets, and gangster spaces.
Films like Kiss of Death, and why
Carlito's Way
shared 1990s neo-noir crime atmosphere, criminal underworld tension, and morally compromised protagonists
Donnie Brasco
shared paranoid crime-thriller structure, violent gangsters, undercover pressure, and urban fatalism
State of Grace
shared gritty urban crime setting, volatile criminal personalities, and intense police pressure
Bound
shared slick noir-inflected thriller style, revenge themes, and dangerous criminal power struggles
Movie Details
- Director
- Barbet Schroeder
- Release Date
- 1995-04-21
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (372)
Cast
- David Caruso
- Nicolas Cage
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Helen Hunt
- Kathryn Erbe
- Stanley Tucci
- Michael Rapaport
- Ving Rhames
- Philip Baker Hall
- Anthony Heald
Common questions
- What is Kiss of Death about?
- An ex-con trying to protect his family is forced into a deadly collision between a sadistic gangster and detectives determined to make him inform.
- What is Kiss of Death like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kiss of Death as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Kiss of Death violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Kiss of Death as brutal.
- What did critics think of Kiss of Death?
- Critics broadly found the film stylish and atmospheric, with an outstanding ensemble led by Nicolas Cage's highly intense performance, though the script delivers tension only intermittently.
- Which films are like Kiss of Death?
- Films with a similar feel include Carlito's Way, Donnie Brasco, State of Grace, and Bound.
- How long is Kiss of Death?
- Kiss of Death runs 101 minutes.
