X
- 1973
- PG
- 1 h 34 m
- 1973
- PG
- 1 h 34 m
Summary Loosely based on the Starkweather-Fugate killing spree of 1958, Terrence Malick's debut features follows outlaws Kit and Holly from Fort Dupre, South Dakota to the badlands of Montana.
Directed By: Terrence Malick
Written By: Terrence Malick
- 1973
- PG
- 1 h 34 m
- 1973
- PG
- 1 h 34 m
Badlands
8.3
Where to Watch
Summary Loosely based on the Starkweather-Fugate killing spree of 1958, Terrence Malick's debut features follows outlaws Kit and Holly from Fort Dupre, South Dakota to the badlands of Montana.
Directed By: Terrence Malick
Written By: Terrence Malick
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
93
95% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 19 Critic Reviews
93
95% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Critics don’t tend to talk about this much—it’s tantamount to a confession that we don’t always know what we’re doing—but it’s often the case that the most powerful, haunting aspects of a movie are those that we don’t fully understand.
Badlands is the American myth of freedom and violence; it doesn’t get old because it remains what we are.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 171 User Ratings
8.3
85% Positive
146 Ratings
146 Ratings
11% Mixed
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
4% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 171 User Ratings
8.3
85% Positive
146 Ratings
146 Ratings
11% Mixed
19 Ratings
19 Ratings
4% Negative
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
One of the greatest, most visual poetic, abstract and one of the most realistic movies of the 1970s, Badlands is one of the greatest debuts of all time. With some of the most unpredictable, savage and sympathetic antiheroes in cinema, brought to vivid life thanks to the complex and marvellous performance from Hollywood icons Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, along with the expertly written, insightful, darkly comedic, vivid, arresting script and excellent, off-beat, and genre-defining directing by Terrence Malick, along with the beautiful cinematography, capturing the visual beauty through it’s gruelling and brutal imagery, along with its fantastic and smooth editing, this movie stands as a true work of visual and narrative art.
Report
Great movie, with amazing performances
Report
Badlands is one of the great banality-of-evil films. [29 May 1998, p.C9]
Among the great American crime movies, 1973's Badlands stands alone. [13 Feb. 1998]
Refracted through Holly’s naive, emotionally flat narration and Malick’s poetic visual style, this familiar tale is transformed into something strange and oddly beautiful. [29 Aug. 2008]
There's a basic flaw in Malick's method: he has perceived the movie--he's done our work instead of his. In place of people and action, with metaphor rising out of the story, he gives us a surface that is all conscious metaphor. Badlands is so preconceived that there's nothing left to respond to. [18 March 1974, p.135]
Terrance Malick made one of the most sweetest movies about serial killers I've ever seen. The fact this is his direct debut and how skillful directed is impressive. Best film debuts of all time.
While a slow drift with it's pacing, but what keeps us so invested is two great performers from Sheen and Spacek, and the breaking taking cinematography. Like a feeling of peace. Not the type of characters you usually follow in a movie about love and freedom; love is strange.
Report
1974's Badlands will go down in the history books as one of the best first feature films by a director, alongside Citizen Kane, Reservoir Dogs, District 9, Dances with Wolves, The Maltese Falcon, etc, etc. This movie is made with such precision and confidence, it's impeccable
One word summarizes the whole movie. Simple. Simple characters, although messed up. Simple dialogue, Simple incidents. Kinda reminds me of Fargo. Also Kit is one of the most interesting characters ever, how he's portrayed by newcomer Martin Sheen, is brilliant. This movie put Sheen on the map, Apocalypse Now made him a star, although this performance is superior.
Report
a complex intake on simplicity..
Badlands The feature never fails to surprise the viewers even at its vulnerable and mandatory stage and this is the strength of it where it shines utterly and flaunts with head held high. The makers being aware of the eerie and dark premise, keeps the tone light and breezy which is shot with amazing camera work in here but is short on technical aspects like sound department, editing and art design. The writing is smart, convoluted and even inedible for some audience at various places, which can be off putting especially when the complexity isn't narrowed down to a definite answer. Terrence Malick; the writer-director, as always, never disappoints on terms on executing his anticipated vision on screen with his keen sense of knowledge and passion towards cinema itself. The performance objective is where the wheels get stuck for despite of brilliant effort, Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek aren't as convincing as the script demands. The chemistry and the energy among the lead characters should have been explored more to connect with the viewers and offer them appropriate gravitas to it. Badlands is a complex intake on simplicity towards the emotion "love" that is set in a backdrop of this thrilling and somewhat overlong run.
Report
This film is classic Terrence Malick. Exquisitely shot with a great premise and execution of that premise, Badlands is a film that suffers because of its writing. The acting is fine with Martin Sheen being the stronger of the two and completely embodying his character. Sissy Spacek was alright with moments of brilliance, but also moments where she struggled mightily. The costume design here is also quite good. However, back to the writing, the story is very good. It is well developed and interesting to watch unfold. Yet, the characters are terrible, as they act irrationally and nonsensically throughout the film. The dialogue is also horrendous and completely lacking any sense of reality. At no moment does this film feel authentic and that is due to the terrible dialogue and characters. While the story may be interesting, it suffers due to those two elements that really **** you out of the film. Badlands is probably Malick's strongest film that I have seen thus far, which is sad, because you can tell he is really brilliant, but he has no idea how to write a script.
Report
Production Company
Warner Bros.,
Pressman-Williams,
Jill Jakes Production,
Badlands Company
Release Date Oct 15, 1973
Duration 1 h 34 m
Rating PG
Tagline He was 25 years old. He combed his hair like James Dean. She was 15. She took music lessons and could twirl a baton. For a while they lived together in a tree house. In 1959, she watched while he killed a lot of people.
Awards
San Sebastián International Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 2 Nominations
National Film Preservation Board, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Online Film & Television Association
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
