Looper
A contract killer in a bleak near future must choose between eliminating his older self and stopping the catastrophe that older self is determined to prevent.
Overview
A hitman faces the ultimate challenge: eliminating his future self to secure his past.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- melancholic
- brooding
- late night science fiction
- thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Looper as an inventive, intelligent, and emotionally substantial time-travel crime thriller that balances action with ambitious character drama.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Joe’s criminal career and survival struggle are defined by his confrontation with Old Joe, his future self.
The film contrasts a violent 2044 America with a criminalized future shaped by time travel and organized crime.
Joe and Old Joe debate whether killing a child can prevent a future reign of terror.
Assassins, corrupt employers, shadowy criminal networks, and grim futurism shape the film’s atmosphere.
Films like Looper, and why
12 Monkeys
shared time travel mechanics, crime thriller tension, and morally consequential attempts to alter the future
Minority Report
shared dystopian science fiction, temporal paradoxes, and an assassin confronting a future shaped by violence
Predestination
shared cerebral time travel premise, identity conflict, and escalating thriller suspense
Children of Men
shared crime-centered science fiction, bleak futurism, and emotionally driven action
Movie Details
- Director
- Rian Johnson
- Release Date
- 2012-09-26
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (11223)
Cast
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- Bruce Willis
- Emily Blunt
- Paul Dano
- Noah Segan
- Piper Perabo
- Jeff Daniels
- Pierce Gagnon
- Xu Qing
- Tracie Thoms
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- 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 Looper about?
- A contract killer in a bleak near future must choose between eliminating his older self and stopping the catastrophe that older self is determined to prevent.
- What is Looper like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Looper as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Looper violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Looper as graphic.
- What did critics think of Looper?
- Critics broadly praised Looper as an inventive, intelligent, and emotionally substantial time-travel crime thriller that balances action with ambitious character drama.
- Which films are like Looper?
- Films with a similar feel include 12 Monkeys, Minority Report, Predestination, and Children of Men.
- How long is Looper?
- Looper runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Looper?
- In United States, Looper streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel.
