Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- brooding
- visceral
- paranoid
- dark thriller night
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the remake technically competent and tense but undermined by its troubling celebration of violence.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
David's perceived weakness is repeatedly challenged by Charlie and the local men before violence becomes his means of asserting control.
The assault on Amy and the later threat against Jeremy propel David toward violent defense and retribution.
The rural house becomes the site of an escalating siege as David protects Amy and Jeremy from the pursuing men.
Charlie, Tom Heddon, and their crew embody the local power structure's contempt for David's intellect and outsider status.
Films like Straw Dogs, and why
Straw Dogs
home invasion suspense, escalating violence, and morally disturbing questions about masculinity
I Spit on Your Grave
rape and revenge structure, exploitation intensity, and confrontational gender politics
The Last House on the Left
rural isolation, sexual violence, and a descent into brutal retaliatory violence
The Strangers
home-invasion thriller mechanics, claustrophobic siege tension, and graphic violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Rod Lurie
- Release Date
- 2011-09-16
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (653)
Cast
- James Marsden
- Kate Bosworth
- Alexander Skarsgård
- Dominic Purcell
- Laz Alonso
- Willa Holland
- James Woods
- Walton Goggins
- Rhys Coiro
- Billy Lush
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Straw Dogs about?
- An outsider screenwriter's attempt to protect his wife and a vulnerable local man turns a Mississippi home into a battleground over masculinity, violence, and moral control.
- What is Straw Dogs like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Straw Dogs as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Straw Dogs violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Straw Dogs as graphic.
- What did critics think of Straw Dogs?
- Critics generally found the remake technically competent and tense but undermined by its troubling celebration of violence.
- Which films are like Straw Dogs?
- Films with a similar feel include Straw Dogs, I Spit on Your Grave, The Last House on the Left, and The Strangers.
- How long is Straw Dogs?
- Straw Dogs runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch Straw Dogs?
- In United States, Straw Dogs is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
