Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- sardonic
- profane
- kinetic
- late night movie
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film energetic and darkly funny but overly derivative, convoluted, and weakened by plot holes.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Carlo Bartolucci is held in a mansion while the young kidnappers depend on his expertise to resolve a separate ransom crisis.
The film repeatedly offsets hostage peril and mob violence with snappy, darkly humorous exchanges.
A group of four young men kidnaps an ex-mob boss but repeatedly mishandles the ransom scheme and its consequences.
Contemporary critical reception specifically identified the film as an imitation of early Tarantino, while praising its kinetic tone and dark humor.
Films like Suicide Kings, and why
Pulp Fiction
shares nonlinear-feeling crime plotting, profane dialogue, kinetic energy, and darkly comic criminal entanglements
The Killing of a Sacred Deer
shares hostage pressure, volatile criminal personalities, and suspense blended with grim humor
Ruthless People
shares an improvised kidnapping premise, escalating incompetence, and blackly comic criminal tension
The Ref
shares a contained hostage scenario, abrasive banter, and morally unstable ensemble dynamics
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter O'Fallon
- Release Date
- 1997-09-06
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (341)
Cast
- Christopher Walken
- Henry Thomas
- Sean Patrick Flanery
- Jay Mohr
- Jeremy Sisto
- Johnny Galecki
- Nina Siemaszko
- Denis Leary
- Jay Della
- Nathan Dana Aldrich
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy 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 Suicide Kings about?
- Four inept young kidnappers enlist a captured ex-mob boss to solve a ransom crisis, unleashing a profane, volatile descent into betrayal.
- What is Suicide Kings like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Suicide Kings as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Suicide Kings violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Suicide Kings as brutal.
- What did critics think of Suicide Kings?
- Critics generally found the film energetic and darkly funny but overly derivative, convoluted, and weakened by plot holes.
- Which films are like Suicide Kings?
- Films with a similar feel include Pulp Fiction, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Ruthless People, and The Ref.
- How long is Suicide Kings?
- Suicide Kings runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Suicide Kings?
- In United States, Suicide Kings streams on MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
