Killer Joe

So one day, you’re going through Matthew McConaughey’s movies and watch all of these American hillbillies hanging out with him. His role in this movie – killer Joe – is basically the only normally thinking person in this entire movie. Even though he also has his “moments”. For example, the ending is a downright delicacy for movie connoisseurs. But the people he surrounds himself with are the sorts of characters who look like they’ve had five pints of beer and escaped from a loony bin. Their behavior, actions, reactions to certain situations… nothing here makes any sense. To be honest, I didn’t get it. And I was fascinated by Juno Temple who is apparently twelve in this movie. What?! Well, in any case, I have to say that the movie had balls and that’s why I’m rating it three stars. (04/13/2014)

If Quentin Tarantino didn’t exist, Killer Joe would certainly be a concept. But this way, especially in comparison with his similarly tuned conversational films, its underdevelopment and superficiality become clear. Friedkin builds primarily on unreadable characters and their conflicts with each other, but the story has too few unexpected twists and only one memorable scene with cult potential. The biggest positives for me remain Matthew McConaughey, who is charismatic as shit, and I'd quickly turn away with my tail between my legs if I met him on the street, and the overall stylistic execution of form and content, which at times is quite close to Quentin's. (07/25/2016)

A rough Texas ride where no one has anything to lose. Once Matthew McConaughey starts delivering his lines in full force, this strange family drama kicks into high gear, and it's a shame that the blood, dirt, and slightly bizarre atmosphere become too much towards the very end. With clearer direction, Killer Joe, thanks to its perfect cast, could have aimed for a higher level. (04/03/2013)

William Friedkin is again at the top of his game. Killer Joe is a thriller with a not very original plot, but it compensates that with several pleasantly unexpected twists, an uncompromisingly dirty atmosphere and fantastic performances by most of the people involved. Most of the attention is drawn by the wonderfully sleazy Matthew McConaughey, his Joe will no doubt be one of the best film villains of the year. The other actors are also very good, only Emile Hirsch was a little unconvincing. One of the most pleasant surprises in recent years, thumbs up. Very intense climax. 9/10 (10/19/2012)

The ace up William Friedkin’s sleeve is not the plot but the eccentricity of its characters and what it can lead to. That is, what they’re capable of and how they deal with situations gone wrong in their redneck shortsightedness. An excellent “chicken blowjob” scene. I didn’t hope for anything like this from Matthew McConaughey in the age of A Time to Kill and Amistad. This actor is rising to the stars! And it’s not just him, the entire cast is excellent here. A brutal movie with big balls and a not exactly sound mind. (11/24/2012)