Overview
A gripping tale of crime and survival unfolds within the brutal confines of a maximum-security prison.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- darkly comic
- disturbing
- volatile
- crime film night
- australian cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Eric Bana's astonishing lead performance and Andrew Dominik's intelligent direction in this disturbing portrait of a notorious Australian criminal.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mark Brandon Read is presented as an entertaining, magnetic storyteller alongside his violence, manipulation, and criminal reputation.
The story is based on Read's autobiography and filters his notorious life through the persona of Chopper.
Read's murder sentence, prison relationships, and reputation form the film's defining social world.
The film's grimly funny exchanges and Bana's charm coexist with threats, violence, and psychological instability.
Films like Chopper, and why
Bronson
darkly comic biographical crime drama centered on a charismatic, morally warped criminal figure
Animal Kingdom
australian crime drama with abrasive antiheroes, criminal subculture, and grimly ironic tone
A Prophet
stylized prison crime film built around an intense central performance and institutional violence
Bad Lieutenant
disturbing portrait of criminal identity blending menace, charisma, and black humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Andrew Dominik
- Release Date
- 2000-06-21
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (437)
Cast
- Eric Bana
- Vince Colosimo
- Simon Lyndon
- David Field
- Dan Wyllie
- Bill Young
- Kate Beahan
- Gary Waddell
- Renée Brack
- Richard Sutherland
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- 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 Chopper about?
- A magnetic Australian criminal turns prison violence and personal legend into a disturbing, darkly comic self-portrait.
- What is Chopper like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Chopper as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Chopper violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Chopper as graphic.
- What did critics think of Chopper?
- Critics broadly praised Eric Bana's astonishing lead performance and Andrew Dominik's intelligent direction in this disturbing portrait of a notorious Australian criminal.
- Which films are like Chopper?
- Films with a similar feel include Bronson, Animal Kingdom, A Prophet, and Bad Lieutenant.
- How long is Chopper?
- Chopper runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Chopper?
- In United States, Chopper streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
