Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- feverish
- fatalistic
- classic noir night
- kubrick retrospective
What critics said
Critics generally recognize a visually striking, fascinating early Kubrick effort whose conventional noir story is uneven but elevated by authentic New York imagery.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The boxer, gangster, dance hall setting, and pursuit through New York create a compact noir world of menace and limited escape.
Times Square, the subway, and other authentic New York locations function as prominent backdrops for the chase and romance.
Davey Gordon is characterized as a prize-fighter whose career has been marked by promise without fulfillment.
Gloria's relationship with Raphello and his response to her connection with Davey drive the film's central conflict.
Films like Killer's Kiss, and why
The Naked City
shared film noir atmosphere, urban crime plot, doomed romance, and nocturnal city imagery
The Set-Up
shared boxing milieu, fatalistic crime drama, and hard-edged black-and-white urban realism
Pickup on South Street
shared film noir conventions, threatened woman, gangster menace, and stylized metropolitan cinematography
Movie Details
- Director
- Stanley Kubrick
- Release Date
- 1955-10-01
- Runtime
- 68 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (621)
Cast
- Frank Silvera
- Jamie Smith
- Irene Kane
- Jerry Jarrett
- Mike Dana
- Felice Orlandi
- Shaun O'Brien
- Barbara Brand
- David Vaughan
- Alec Rubin
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, FlixFling, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Killer's Kiss about?
- A terse black-and-white noir in which a drifting prize-fighter and a dance hall performer flee a gangster's violent possessiveness across New York City.
- What is Killer's Kiss like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Killer's Kiss as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Killer's Kiss violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Killer's Kiss as moderate.
- What did critics think of Killer's Kiss?
- Critics generally recognize a visually striking, fascinating early Kubrick effort whose conventional noir story is uneven but elevated by authentic New York imagery.
- Which films are like Killer's Kiss?
- Films with a similar feel include The Naked City, The Set-Up, and Pickup on South Street.
- How long is Killer's Kiss?
- Killer's Kiss runs 68 minutes.
- Where can I watch Killer's Kiss?
- In United States, Killer's Kiss streams on YouTube TV, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, FlixFling, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel .
