A History of Violence

88%

Tomatometer

218 Reviews

76%

Audience Score

250,000+ Ratings

When a pair of petty criminals attempt to rob his small-town diner, Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) quickly and easily kills them both. In the flush of news coverage of Tom's seemingly heroic actions, a threatening stranger named Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris) comes to town, fingering the unassuming family man as long-missing Philadelphia mobster Joey Cusack. To the horror of his wife, Edie (Maria Bello), and teenage son, Jack (Ashton Holmes), Tom finds he must confront his violent past.

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A History of Violence

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A History of Violence raises compelling and thoughtful questions about the nature of violence, while representing a return to form for director David Cronenberg in one of his more uncharacteristic pieces.

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Critics Reviews

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A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Christy Lemire

Associated Press

The less you know about this movie before seeing it -- and you really should see it -- the better.

Apr 15, 2013

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A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

David Denby

New Yorker

Cronenberg's direction, mirroring the split in Tom, is alternately measured and frighteningly explosive, and, as always, he gives the movie a nasty underlay of sexual perversity.

Apr 15, 2013

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A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

This peculiarly predictable picture has been calculated, or miscalculated, to set up certain expectations, fulfill them, and then do the same thing again, thereby giving us a chance to see what's coming and, at least in theory, be shocked.

Apr 15, 2013

Full Review

A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Diane Carson

KDHX (St. Louis)

Cronenberg brilliantly elicits a continuum of emotions, elicits our involvement as well as our reflection. This is an astonishing feat made all the more effective by a complex and subtle performance by Vigo Mortensen...

May 21, 2024

Full Review

A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

In much the same manner that David Lynch deconstructed the myth of the squeaky-clean small Southern town in Blue Velvet, so too does David Cronenberg take a hatchet to the facade of bland Midwestern homeliness in A History of Violence.

Rated: 3.5/4

Dec 26, 2023

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A History of Violence | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Graeme Tuckett

Stuff.co.nz

A History of Violence is one of the key films of the first decade of the 21st century.

Jun 7, 2023

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Audience Reviews

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Aaron D Good, but not great. The vicious, unforgiving violence is portrayed real well with convincing roles throughout. Great musical score, and an entertaining story that does not bore, even if it's themes aren't overwhelmingly thoughtful. It's stuck in an uncomfortable limbo between an artistic take on violence and a formulaic action flick. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/04/24 Full Review Howard H Thought provoking although predictable. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/15/24 Full Review Varun Raw, very brutal action movie, the protagonist has no backstory to establish but still is very much effective the way story carried on.Some questionable intimate scenes other than that was overall good action drama with lots of intensity! Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/11/24 Full Review Alec C Are we inherently violent or is it something that we choose to be? Tom Stall is a seemingly unknowing coffee shop owner, until a stick--up unleashes dark impulses that spurs ghosts from the past to hunt him and his family down. This film takes lengths to ensure that the violence feels completely unexpected, making it much more shocking when it actually happens! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/03/24 Full Review Anderson O Among one of the Great performances by Viggo, a History of Violence tells a tale of attempting to remove your past and guiding a new life, and the consequences of the past life coming back to haunt you when making deals with those whom strings are attached. Carl Forgarty is one of the great psychological mob villians in comicbook adaptation history. And William hurt's character has a great performance as well.Star studded casting in the amazement of David's directing style. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/28/23 Full Review Jake M Excellent movie! On the surface it seems predictable, yet delivers many surprises in how events unfold. It's predictably unpredictable, if you will. Very well written and acted, thought provoking examination of the duality of human beings- how good people can remain good while being capable of extreme violence under the right circ*mstances. Also a great redemption story about a bad guy turned good. Highly recommended! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/10/23 Full Review Read all reviews

A History of Violence

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Cast & Crew

David Cronenberg Director Viggo Mortensen Tom Stall Maria Bello Edie Stall William Hurt Richie Cusack Ashton Holmes Jack Stall Stephen McHattie Leland Jones

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