I watched this one by accident, as I mistook it for another film, but John Cassavetes is so effortlessly cool in everything that I didn’t mind. It was also my first film featuring Ronald Reagan, and I have to say, I don’t quite get the hype around that guy.

Anyway, The Killers is a fun, dynamic film with a narrative structure that’s unusual for the action flicks. Angie Dickinson makes for a perfect femme fatale here.

It’s a bit naïve and straightforward at times, but overall it’s a great experience. A compelling mix of the classic Hollywood qualities with the emerging ones of 1970s New Hollywood that was just around the corner.

I watched this one by accident, as I mistook it for another film, but John Cassavetes is so effortlessly cool in everything that I didn’t mind. It was also my first film featuring Ronald Reagan, and I have to say, I don’t quite get the hype around that guy.

Anyway, The Killers is a fun, dynamic film with a narrative structure that’s unusual for the action flicks. Angie Dickinson makes for a perfect femme fatale here.

It’s a bit naïve and straightforward at times, but overall it’s a great experience. A compelling mix of the classic Hollywood qualities with the emerging ones of 1970s New Hollywood that was just around the corner.

The pacing in this version kills me. We were doing doing fine for the first hour, but then we slow to a screeching halt and get real talky. The acting is all pretty great (the effects definitely show their age though), but the back half really lost me. I'd say this doesn't quite qualify as a remake or an adaptation of the short story, as it strays even farther from the short story than the 1946 movie did. I appreciate that the acting wasn't as hammy, but the story just isn't as strong. It was wild to see Ronald Reagan and Mr Roper together.

The pacing in this version kills me. We were doing doing fine for the first hour, but then we slow to a screeching halt and get real talky. The acting is all pretty great (the effects definitely show their age though), but the back half really lost me. I'd say this doesn't quite qualify as a remake or an adaptation of the short story, as it strays even farther from the short story than the 1946 movie did. I appreciate that the acting wasn't as hammy, but the story just isn't as strong. It was wild to see Ronald Reagan and Mr Roper together.

Wow this Ronald Reagan guy sure is playing an evil guy, hope he isn’t as evil in real life.

Wow this Ronald Reagan guy sure is playing an evil guy, hope he isn’t as evil in real life.

Cassavetes punches Reagan at 1 hr 5 mins

Cassavetes punches Reagan at 1 hr 5 mins

So I actually preferred this to the 1946 version by a lot. Really enjoyed Lee Marvin and the rest of the cast. Sheila doesn’t have the same elegance as Ava Gardner’s character but I enjoyed the added screen time for our femme fatale

So I actually preferred this to the 1946 version by a lot. Really enjoyed Lee Marvin and the rest of the cast. Sheila doesn’t have the same elegance as Ava Gardner’s character but I enjoyed the added screen time for our femme fatale