Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- gritty
- volatile
- bleak
- late night viewing
- 1990s crime marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film's talented cast and gritty crime premise stronger than its uneven execution, with Tupac Shakur's screen presence frequently singled out.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Butch returns to the street after eight years in prison and immediately resumes criminal behavior amid strained family relationships.
Butch robs a drug dealer he already resents, prompting the dealer to hire an enforcer and setting up the final showdown.
The parolee's drug abuse, prison history, criminal acquaintances, and inevitable confrontation shape the film's harsh street-level mood.
Butch's relationships with Ruby and Louis Stein are embedded in the film's network of addiction, resentment, and sexual dysfunction.
Films like Bullet, and why
Bad Lieutenant
gritty urban crime drama, volatile male antiheroes, drug-fueled violence, and a bleak revenge spiral
The Basketball Diaries
1990s street-crime atmosphere, damaged protagonists, dysfunctional families, and escalating retaliation
King of New York
hard-edged crime drama centered on drug abuse, criminal loyalty, and destructive masculine codes
State of Grace
stylized urban violence, grimy characterizations, and crime-world conflict driven by revenge
Movie Details
- Director
- Julien Temple
- Release Date
- 1996-03-01
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (139)
Cast
- Mickey Rourke
- Tupac Shakur
- Adrien Brody
- Ted Levine
- Matthew Powers
- Donnie Wahlberg
- Suzanne Shepherd
- Jerry Grayson
- Manny Perez
- John Enos III
Common questions
- What is Bullet about?
- A newly paroled addict reignites an old feud with a drug dealer, dragging his damaged family and two loyal friends toward a violent reckoning.
- What is Bullet like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bullet as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Bullet violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Bullet as brutal.
- What did critics think of Bullet?
- Critics broadly found the film's talented cast and gritty crime premise stronger than its uneven execution, with Tupac Shakur's screen presence frequently singled out.
- Which films are like Bullet?
- Films with a similar feel include Bad Lieutenant, The Basketball Diaries, King of New York, and State of Grace.
- How long is Bullet?
- Bullet runs 100 minutes.
