Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- sultry
- volatile
- lurid
- late night thriller viewing
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film stylish and fearlessly lurid but uneven, messy, and ultimately mixed in execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ben and Chon operate a lucrative marijuana business, while cartel negotiations revolve around percentages, supply, and control.
Ophelia is romantically involved with both Chon and Ben, whose complementary personalities sustain their shared relationship.
The film juxtaposes affluent Laguna Beach surroundings and premium marijuana commerce with abduction, coercion, and cartel violence.
Elena's cartel abducts Ophelia to force Chon and Ben into a business partnership.
Films like Savages, and why
Traffic
Shared neo-noir crime, drug-trafficking conflict, morally compromised characters, and volatile violence.
The Counselor
Shared cartel thriller framework, erotic tension, criminal negotiations, and heightened violence.
Blow
Shared drug-world crime drama, stylish brutality, and escalating conflict between entrepreneurs and organized crime.
Sicario
Shared lurid crime-thriller tone, cartel power struggles, and protagonists resisting a ruthless criminal organization.
Movie Details
- Director
- Oliver Stone
- Release Date
- 2012-07-06
- Runtime
- 131 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (2349)
Cast
- Taylor Kitsch
- Blake Lively
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson
- John Travolta
- Salma Hayek Pinault
- Benicio del Toro
- Emile Hirsch
- Demián Bichir
- Sandra Echeverría
- Diego Cataño
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- 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 Savages about?
- A wealthy marijuana-trading trio wages a dangerous counteroffensive after a Mexican cartel turns their intimate bond into a weapon.
- What is Savages like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Savages as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Savages violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Savages as graphic.
- What did critics think of Savages?
- Critics broadly found the film stylish and fearlessly lurid but uneven, messy, and ultimately mixed in execution.
- Which films are like Savages?
- Films with a similar feel include Traffic, The Counselor, Blow, and Sicario.
- How long is Savages?
- Savages runs 131 minutes.
- Where can I watch Savages?
- In United States, Savages streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
