Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- sordid
- campy
- steamy
- late night viewing
- provocative film discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film trashy, melodramatic, uneven, and often campy, while acknowledging its strong cast and Nicole Kidman's vivid performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Florida swamps and Everglades frame the investigation in a steamy, oppressive visual register.
Charlotte's fixation on the imprisoned Hillary and her attraction to Jack drive the film's deliberately lurid emotional register.
Ward and Yardley's investigation into a racial murder exposes deep-rooted issues of race and acceptance.
The newspaper investigation becomes entangled with Charlotte's sexual obsession and Jack's confused feelings.
Films like The Paperboy, and why
Mud
shared southern gothic atmosphere, sexual melodrama, racial tension, and morally compromised characters
The Hot Spot
shared steamy neo-noir mood, obsessive desire, crime investigation, and heightened performances
Killer Joe
shared Florida setting, lurid crime plotting, queer themes, and transgressive pulp sensibility
Movie Details
- Director
- Lee Daniels
- Release Date
- 2012-09-14
- Runtime
- 107 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (822)
Cast
- Zac Efron
- Matthew McConaughey
- Nicole Kidman
- David Oyelowo
- Macy Gray
- John Cusack
- Scott Glenn
- Ned Bellamy
- Nealla Gordon
- Edrick Browne
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory 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 The Paperboy about?
- A young Florida driver is pulled into a lurid death-row investigation where racial violence, forbidden desire, and family secrets spiral toward catastrophe.
- What is The Paperboy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Paperboy as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Paperboy violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Paperboy as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Paperboy?
- Critics broadly found the film trashy, melodramatic, uneven, and often campy, while acknowledging its strong cast and Nicole Kidman's vivid performance.
- Which films are like The Paperboy?
- Films with a similar feel include Mud, The Hot Spot, and Killer Joe.
- How long is The Paperboy?
- The Paperboy runs 107 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Paperboy?
- In United States, The Paperboy streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
