the audience applauded

Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

If you want to avoid Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, do NOT watch this movie. Dottie is a minor in the film and she has sex with an adult man. Another part of the movie that made me really sick was watching Matthew McConaughey forcing Gina's character to perform oral sex on a piece of chicken on Matthew's crotch making it look like he was getting oral sex. If people wanted to see sex they would watch porn not a movie.This movie receives a bad rating from me. I was left disturbed after watching this movie.

Oscar winning director William Friedkin has never been afraid to shy away from dark material as evidenced by the controversial, but Oscar nominated "The Exorcist" in 1973. However Friedkin outdoes that unsettling supernatural horror film with this deeply disturbing thriller that makes "The Exorcist" look tame by comparison. Based on the play by Tracy Letts (who also wrote the Award winning 'Aigust: Osage County'), the film follows a financially desperate family who hires a mysterious P.I./hit-man to kill the former familial matriarch. However the situation soon spirals into a torrent of terrifyingly uncomfortable scenes of violence and sexual depravity that leaves a shocking wave of startling consequences in its wake. The film is well cast with Emile Hirsch as the ne'er do well son who hires the titular hit-man; Hirsch plays his character, Chris, with a well meaning demeanor towards his little sister, Dottie, but Chris does not comprehend what his actions will unleash once he contacts Joe Cooper and ultimately learns the severity of what he has done. Thomas Haden Church, no stranger to playing some desperate characters (watch his work in "SpiderMan 3" for an example) is the dimwitted patriarch who just goes with the flow of his son's insane plan to off his ex-wife. Gina Gershon is the foul mouthed and self-serving stepmother who is in the plan for her own gain & also pays quite a sick and bloody price for her own foolish motives. Then there's the virginal-like, but emotionally (and clearly mentally impaired) Dottie, played to perfection by Juno Temple. Dottie sadly doesn't have a filter when voicing her thoughts which hurts the plans of her family, but her childish persona is what draws the normally aloof Joe Cooper to her; providing a unique relationship dynamic aside from the dysfunctional family angle.The film's standout performance however goes to Matthew McConaughey's subtlety maniacal & volatile portrayal of the title character. At first we are shown how calm and collected his demeanor normally is; tapping into the usual McConaughey skill set. However as the film progresses & his cruelty is slowly uncovered, unease begins to set in particularly when he seduces the virginal Dottie (McConaughey was a rom-com lead for a reason, but this starts to veer away from that image). The climactic turn comes during the film's explosively depraved final act where Killer Joe's true sadistic side is unleashed as McConaughey screams epithets of threats and engages in one horrific scene of sexual depravity that will jar even the most stone-faced viewer. This is definitely the film that turned McConaughey into a far more bankable dramatic lead following his rom-com roles; there's no debate in my opinion that was a spooky turning point. The content of the film is definitely not for the squeamish viewer especially if one is familiar with some of director William Friedkin's work, again mostly with "The Exorcist". However given the levels of S&M type acts, these are probably the boldest risks taken by the screenwriters, director and the actors (again particularly from the usually likable Matthew McConaughey) which do pay off but at the cost of unforgettable imagery. If you dare, give "Killer Joe" a try, but be warned that you'll be in for a wild ride.

Under pressure from loan sharks, a young gambling addict hires a crooked cop to kill his mother for the life insurance money, but nothing quite goes to plan in this engrossing drama starring Emile Hirsch and Matthew McConaughey as the gambler and cop respectively. McConaughey received a lot of praise for his performance at the time, all of which is justified. There is not a single likable character in this dark, bleak tale, however, McConaughey is always fascinating to watch, elucidating some very rigid rules of conduct and oozing danger at every turn. While he does explicitly taunt, intimidate or hurt Hirsch, unlike the loan shark and his goons, there is a constant sense that McConaughey might in fact be a more sinister and vicious character, especially as he starts making demands of Hirsch's teenage sister and begins bossing his father around. For all its virtues, the film also has a baffling black comedy streak to it, and the final twenty minutes or so are done with an uncomfortably comedic vibe. This ultimately leads to the film ending on an odd note with a sudden cut to black that leaves everything hanging. That said, the final twenty minutes are the most memorable of the movie with McConaughey completely losing the cool and calm demeanour he until then exhibited throughout; the final twenty minutes also go a long way to explaining the quizzical chicken wing promotional posters for the film.

This comment does not contain any spoilers nor will be very long.It should be obvious by now that this not a movie for sensible people. It is not a soft movie, with some suspense and some shooting. It is a hard movie to watch with a brutal but simple plot. It is violent and disturbing. Having said that, the performance from the actors are superb. They make you believe this is a true story, rolling in front of us to witness. The director does a very good job, the cinematography is good and except for one seen all the action is very believable. Kudos to the writers, the 5 main characters are a particular kind of f****d up person. And this movie is seriously f****d up. An immersive experience that is hard to replicate, it deserves my 7/10.