Killer Joe (2012): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Killer Joe is a 2012 drama thriller directed by William Friedkin, starring Emile Hirsch, Thomas Haden Church and Gina Gershon. It runs 1 hour 42 minutes and earned $4.6 million worldwide. It won 1 award from 3 nominations, including Best Actor at the Saturn Awards 2013. Critics gave it 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 62 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 42m (102 min)
- Director
- William Friedkin
- Original language
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English - Studio
- LD Entertainment
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Killer Joe About?
The premise of Killer Joe without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Desperate to escape mounting debts, Chris hires Killer Joe Cooper, a hardened police detective working undercover, to murder his mother and claim her life insurance money. As their dangerous plan develops, Joe becomes increasingly fixated on Chris's young sister, Dottie, forging a disturbing connection that complicates the contract killing and blurs the boundaries between professional duty and personal obsession.
Killer Joe Themes & Keywords
· 1 tag- reenactment
Killer Joe Cast
Emile Hirsch leads the cast, with Thomas Haden Church and Gina Gershon. Directed by William Friedkin; 5 actors are credited in all.
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Director William Friedkin
Also Starring in Killer Joe
· 1 moreMore from William Friedkin
More films directed by William Friedkin, best-rated first: The French Connection, The Exorcist, To Live and Die in L.A. and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.
Killer Joe Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Killer Joe 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and 62 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.7/10.
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IMDb 6.7 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 80% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 61%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 62 Metascore
User score 6.6
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 65% User score
See on TMDB -
Movie Insider 2.6 /5
See on Movie Insider
Killer Joe Plot Summary
What happens in Killer Joe from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
West Dallas wears a rough edge as a backdrop for a reckless plan. Chris Smith Emile Hirsch, a 22-year-old drug dealer, returns to the cluttered trailer park where his father, Ansel Thomas Haden Church, lives with his wife Sharla Gina Gershon. Chris has just been kicked out by his mother Adele, Ansel’s ex-wife, after she steals cocaine he was supposed to sell, leaving him desperate to pay a looming $6,000 debt to his supplier Digger Soames. The tension in the small family compound hums underneath the daily routine, and the air is thick with unspoken resentments and bad decisions waiting to happen.
Full summary
The whole story of Killer Joe, scene by scene
Killer Joe Box Office
Killer Joe grossed $4.6 million worldwide. $2 million came from the US and Canada and $2.6 million (57%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$4.6M
- US & Canada
- $2M
- International
- $2.6M
Killer Joe Awards & Nominations
Killer Joe won 1 award from 3 nominations, including Best Actor at the Saturn Awards 2013. Its biggest night was the Saturn Awards 2013, with 1 win from 2 nominations.
1 win3 nominations2 ceremonies
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Saturn Awards 2013 1 win · 2 nominations- Won Best Actor – Matthew McConaughey
- Nominated Best Supporting Actress
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Spirit Awards 2013 1 nomination- Nominated Best Male Lead – Matthew McConaughey
Killer Joe Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 1 trailer and 2 teasers.
- Teaser Teaser
- Teaser TV Spot
How Well Do You Know Killer Joe?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor portrays the contract killer Joe Cooper?
Cars in Killer Joe
23 cars on screen, including the 1969 Chevrolet C-10 and the 2000 Chevrolet Corvette C5.
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1969 Chevrolet C-10 Important role -
2000 Chevrolet Corvette C5 Important role -
2009 Dodge Charger Important role -
1978 Mercury Cougar Important role
Killer Joe Also Known As
18 alternative titles, including “Ubojiti Joe” and “Убојити Џо”.
- Also known as
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- Ubojiti Joe
- Убојити Џо
- El Asesino Joe
- Katil Joe
- 杀手乔
- Киллер Джо
- Zabójczy Joe
- Убиствени Џо
- Gyilkos Joe
- Zabiják Joe
- קילר ג'ו
- Ucigașul Joe
+6 more Show fewer
- Killer Joe: Matador de Aluguel
- 킬러조
- Убиецът Джо
- キラー・スナイパー
- Кілер Джо
- 殺手喬一下
Seen Killer Joe?
Movies Like Killer Joe
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Killer, Joe and The Killers.
Killer Joe FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Killer Joe, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Killer Joe?
Killer Joe runs 1 hour 42 minutes (102 minutes).
When was Killer Joe released?
Killer Joe was released on July 27, 2012.
Who directed Killer Joe?
Killer Joe was directed by William Friedkin.
More films by William Friedkin Who is in the cast of Killer Joe?
Killer Joe stars Emile Hirsch, Thomas Haden Church and Gina Gershon, among 5 credited actors.
How much did Killer Joe make at the box office?
Killer Joe grossed $4.6 million worldwide ($2 million domestic, $2.6 million international).
How is Killer Joe rated?
Killer Joe has 6.7/10 on IMDb, 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, 62 on Metacritic and 65% on TMDB.
What awards did Killer Joe win?
Killer Joe won 1 award from 3 nominations, including Best Actor at the Saturn Awards 2013.
Does Killer Joe have a post-credit scene?
No. Killer Joe has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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