In Cold Blood

At first, it looks like a chilling, almost documentary thriller, where we will be thoroughly nauseated by the pair of main characters until the end. But it's even more cunning. They're more malicious. Not that I liked Perry or Dick, not that I stopped feeling a chill or that I did not believe their story, but over time I learned enough about these two that their actions became tragic in my eyes, not only for their victims, but for them as well. And the inevitable ending certainly didn't bring any satisfaction, on the contrary, it just underscored all that ugly, sad hopelessness. Brrr. (11/12/2023)

The true story of two young people who massacre a family of four for a few bucks. Thanks to the black-and-white camera, the story feels like a documentary. The recollection of one of the killers about how the crime happened is extremely compelling. The director avoids direct depictions of violence, making do with hints, but these themselves are frightening. Everything is crowned with the final execution scene. Well, it wasn’t very good for my soul. (08/23/2003)

The film could have come off as a cheap criticism of the society that drove the two men to carry out an act, it could have become a throwaway argument about the need for the ultimate punishment, or it could have been just a bland thriller about a heartless crime. However, if that were the case Richard Brooks would need not to direct it so shakily that his film would not be, like Capote's brilliant book, a "mere" non-participatory reconstruction with documentary authenticity, which also earns points in terms of the formal aspects (camera, editing). However, despite its apparent detachment, the film ultimately comes across as a pretty solid emotional wrench that evokes neither pity nor sympathy, but instead a cold sense of satisfaction, albeit one that is somewhat crippled. (04/05/2007)

Someone wrote that, despite its thorough psychological level, the film makes almost national heroes of the murderers – I disagree. The main message, in my opinion, lies rather in the very naturalistic way in which we are gradually told that the murdering cold-blooded maniacs are actually quite ordinary people for the most part, and a decent person might feel comfortable dealing with them without noticing the dark stain on their souls. The narrative value is further enhanced by the believable actors and the minimalist construction of each scene, which leads to a very suspenseful, generationally attuned and unusually stylized tale for its time. The critics will be satisfied, the impartial fans of 60s cinema will be delighted, and the American contemporaries will be pissed off, because all this actually happened regularly and often with impunity in their youth. 85% (03/15/2014)

A very sparingly made film that relies on the impactful reconstruction of a real, brutal crime. The black and white camera dispassionately captures the perpetrators' narrative, the director uses mere hints where others would exploit the offered possibilities and realistically depict violence to increase attractiveness. It's exactly the kind of film that lingers with the audience for a long time and forces them to contemplate on the subjects of morality, guilt, and punishment. Well cast and acted. Overall impression: 90%. (11/30/2008)