I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

I was totally surprised at how great this film.You could feel your paranoia rise as the film went on and as you gradually learned the details of the real situation.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

I usually watch movies based on their high IMDb scores, but movies like "The Bag Man" are why I sometimes dip down into the 5's and 6's. At first I was surprised to see so many reviewers call it "boring", "bad" and "nonsensical", but then I realized that this film just isn't for everybody, but for some--like me--it's riveting. Almost the entire movie takes place during one night at a roadside hotel, where our protagonist, a contract killer (Cusack), is meant to go with a package and wait for pickup. Only everything and everyone around him seem to be set against him. The characters he meets and adventures he has there are fascinating, quirky, and surreal. The best way I can describe it is as a mix between "Identity", "Mulholland Dr.", and The Book of Genesis.I think this movie has gotten so many bad reviews because it doesn't fit the mold. It defies expectations, and some people won't like that. But if you're looking for something different, something that can surprise you, watch "The Bag Man". And try to vanquish your expectations.Special props to Crispin Glover for portraying the hilariously strange Ned. My favorite character!

Review: This movie starts off intriguing but then it goes downhill once Jack (John Cusack), reaches the hotel, where most of the film is based. Its about a hit-man whose asked by his crime boss to collect a bag and bring it back to him. All of the instructions are straight forward but he's not allowed to look in the bag, no matter what. Whilst waiting in a hotel for the collectors to get the bag, a bunch of random events makes the whole transaction harder than he thought. On top of that, a girl ends up in Jacks hotel room because she is trying to escape from her pimps. Once Jack has fort of the crooked cops and a couple of criminals, with the girl by his side, he then meets up with his crime boss to exchange the bag for loads of money but all is not what it seems. I was actually enjoying the movie before all the random events started to happen. I liked Cusack and DeNiro's character but the girl spoilt it because she distracted Cusack from the whole mission. I also thought that the storyline got out of hand after a while but when the story unfolds at the end, it actually made a lot of sense. By that time I had lost interest in the movie so I really wasn't that bothered about how the film was going to pan out. Anyway, the performances were average from Cusack and DeNiro and the script really wasn't that great. DeNiro wouldn't stop waffling on about rubbish, which got on my nerves after a while and I really didn't understand why Cusack just didn't open the bag when he first got it. At the end of the day, it was just a bad day at the office for these two veteran actors and I'm not surprised that this film went straight to DVD. Not that great!Round-Up: At one point in DeNiro's career, you would have never imagined his movies going straight to DVD but now it really isn't a surprise. I didn't understand why he had that awful wig and weird nose extinction in this film either! Anyway, this is the first movie directed by David Grovic who also produced the awful Dying of the Light with Nicolas Cage. Basically, its the second time that he had the chance to make a movie with some decent actors and he's made a right mess of it. There's a couple of twists near the end of this film which would have made the movie quite clever if the middle wasn't so sketchy. Anyway, I'm obviously not alone by saying that this movie really wasn't that great, judging by the movies takings but I really doubt that it will damage Cusack or DeNiro's reputation.Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $462,000 (Terrible!)I recommend this movie to people who are into their crime/drama/thrillers about a hit-man who has to collect a bag for his crime boss but he's not allowed to look in the bag, regardless of the circumstances. 3/10

The Bag Man is one of these incredibly weird and twisted movies, that you really don't want to sit through, but once you start it, you'll finish it, because you'll want to know what's in that bag?! During a secret meeting, a mob boss gives his hit man a seemingly easy job. Pick up a bag, go to a motel in the middle of nowhere, and wait there until the boss comes to pick it up. The hit man does as he's told and gets a room at this motel, which is not only in the middle of nowhere, but is also filled with a group of ridiculously strange people, who all want this mysterious bag. John Cusack stars and no matter the role or the film, he's always fun to watch. There is just something about him that always makes his films entertaining and it's a good thing, especially in a film like this. While Cusack is along for the ride, it is very hard to follow along and like what you're seeing, because the film is just so bizarre. The cast of characters coming for this secret bag, include a pimp, a Russian midget, a corrupt sheriff, and a very weird guy in a wheelchair just to name a few. As the night wears on it becomes harder and harder to protect this bag, and in the end, when the bag is finally opened, you'll realize, that you just wasted 90 minutes for that!? I admire anything John Cusack does, De Niro is always terrific as a gangster, and if nothing else, The Bag Man is unique, but not for it's story. The hook, the thing that really drags you into this is that mysterious bag, which in the end, isn't as special as are you're lead to believe.

I can not believe two respectable actors (Cusack & De Niro) joined this mess of a plot. If Cusack told the Latina to leave or join him again, I was going to puke. At no point in the movie did I understand what was going and why anything was happening. The movie successfully confuses you about who to trust. Not sure it really matters... And how many hours are there in a night? It seemed like it was dark for days straight! This is one of the worst movies I have actually watched (couldn't sleep and on Netfilx). I have never wanted something to end more. Not sure why the production paid good actors for this movie; the results would have been with some less expensive rookies. Save yourself the pain and anguish I endured, do not watch this! I would be happy to hear this was a high school kids first attempt at writing, directing and producing a movie. Other than that, this is shameful!