A History of Violence
Directed by David CronenbergA mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.
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A History of Violence Ratings & Reviews
- LD_50January 21, 2026While competenly directed, A History of Violence is bogged by horrendous pacing making a 90-minute runtime feel way too long. Alongside performances and action that are not engaging in the slightest, this movie offers little to nothing besides clichés and predictable plot elements that do nothing to bring anything new or exciting to the table.
- 0 1January 20, 2026Director David Cronenberg always focuses on interesting and weird themes in movies. Always challenges audiences.
- Eric BakkeNovember 5, 2024The violence is brutal and shocking, but it serves a deeper narrative about the cost of secrets and the consequences of past actions. A stellar cast with standout performances from Ed Harris and William Hurt.
- Seamys-WorldDecember 14, 2025Great movie. I'd seen it years ago, but felt like a new movie again, the 4k upgrade looks amazing and the wider aspect ratio on my 65 inch TV looked incredible. I'd forgotten the turn this movie takes, it gets quite intense at parts. All around a fantastic movie 👏
- SamNovember 27, 2025howard shore's score was way too lotr for this movie i mean why did concerning hobbits play over the credits
- Corbin BishopDecember 6, 2025One of those films where you are just along for the ride. I realllllllly liked the ending. Just makes you sit in it and ponder. My favorite.
- mickerdooNovember 4, 2025Viggo walks a thin line with a tough character but I feel like he pulled it off. Joey is gnarly. Bello is smoking. Harris is a nice touch.
- cubano11October 10, 2025A fantastic movie working off of fantastic source material. I can watch this movie more than once and find something new to appreciate about it.
- ShaydeknightSeptember 17, 2025An amazing film. David Cronenberg takes on something smaller in scale than his usual body-horror fare and delivers one of the most compelling character-driven dramas of the 2000s. Viggo Mortensen is incredible as Tom Stall/Joey Cusack, balancing quiet small-town warmth with the buried menace of a man who’s done terrible things. Maria Bello is extraordinary, not only one of the most attractive women in Hollywood of her era, but one of the most talented. Their relationship feels lived-in, complicated, and real. The story itself is deceptively simple: a man’s violent past catches up with him and threatens to destroy the life he’s built. But Cronenberg layers it with questions about identity, morality, and whether we ever truly leave behind who we used to be. The pacing is perfect: slow and tense where it needs to be, explosive when the violence hits. The action is brief but brutal, making every death feel weighty and consequential. And yes, the sex scenes. I’m not usually big on sex scenes in film, but these were brilliantly done. The first is unconventional, playful, and entirely believable as the kind of “kinky” fun middle-aged partners might have when the kids aren’t home. The second is the opposite: raw, desperate, and almost punishing. Bello’s disgust with herself afterward is heartbreaking and perfectly in tune with the emotional devastation of the moment. Both scenes deepen the characters rather than distract from them. If there’s a criticism, it’s that the third act tilts a little toward melodrama, and some of the secondary characters (especially the kids) could have been fleshed out more. But the cast including Ed Harris and a particularly brilliant William Hurt is so strong that it hardly matters. Cronenberg doesn’t glamorize violence, he dissects it, and in doing so, he makes one of the best meditations on identity and consequence in modern film. This is a small but mighty masterpiece, anchored by two phenomenal leads and some of the most honest, character-driven sex and violence scenes you’ll ever see in a mainstream film.
- Spencer MBNovember 22, 2025*Watched: US Theatrical Cut It's actually crazy how good this is. Cronenberg somehow managed to perfectly pace and cram an entire fulfilling story about generational trauma/violence within 90 minutes. Any other director would make this 2 1/2 hours.
- Kevin WardJuly 1, 2025Really enjoyed this. Really feels like a companion piece to Cronenberg-Viggo Mortensen’s Eastern Promises. When family Tom Stall (Mortensen) single-handedly and violently thwarts a robbery at his small town diner, the headlines captures the attention of some dangerous people who believe Tom may not exactly be who he claims. It’s another compelling crime thriller that has Viggo’s character pretending to be something he’s not. I didn’t care for the story when it involved the son. Those aspects felt thinly scripted and the son’s performance came off as a bit melodramatic. Aside from that the cast was excellent with three cheers for Maria Bello. 😍
- sean.speedJune 1, 2025It seemed to have gratuitous sex scenes like oral sex which was totally unnecessary..
- MrPokeApril 19, 2025Only a few good scenes. Mostly a bore.
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A History of Violence Trivia
A History of Violence was released on September 30, 2005.
A History of Violence was directed by David Cronenberg.
A History of Violence has a runtime of 1h 36m.
A History of Violence was produced by Chris Bender, J.C. Spink.
A mild-mannered man becomes a local hero through an act of violence, which sets off repercussions that will shake his family to its very core.
The key characters in A History of Violence are Tom Stall / Joey Cusack (Viggo Mortensen), Edie Stall (Maria Bello), Carl Fogarty (Ed Harris).
A History of Violence is rated R.
A History of Violence is a Drama, Thriller, Crime film.
A History of Violence has an audience rating of 7.6 out of 10.
A History of Violence had a budget of $32M.
A History of Violence has made $61.5M at the box office.