not as good as all the hype

Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

If you are offended by nudity, perversity or violence this movie is not for you. There is plenty of all three and the violence is at times unremitting. But these features are not gratuitous - they are part and parcel of the setting, plot and character development and the film would not be what it is without them, especially as it is based on a play - if you are expecting to get a good look at life in Texas, you will be disappointed as pretty much everything takes place indoors. But what does take place will have you glued to the screen. Most of your personal problems will fade away as you find yourself enrapt by the almost surreal problems and solutions the characters have to deal with. I should also mention that the actors were superb. They must have been drained after a day's work. But for some strange reason when the movie ended I snapped out of my usual lethargy and hustled out for a brisk walk. Maybe it'll have the same effect on you. And we all need our exercise.

This flick is awful on every level. The story is ridiculous, the characters unbelievable, the bad acting comical (though not meant to be). It is like a very, very bad cartoon. I watched it because someone told me it is "interesting" and I kept waiting, waiting, waiting for it to get interesting... and by the end had sorely regretted wasting my time. Even worse, I now have all the stupid imagery stored somewhere in my brain.And one more thing: The violence, including the sexual violence, is all gratuitous. Maybe that's why some people watch the flick. It's another reason why I wish I had not.I am bewildered that a director like Friedkin would have been even remotely connected to such a travesty. Also amazed that the actors, some with good reputations for their work, would have participated in this mess.

This has got to be one of the most disgusting films i have ever seen. If people can call this entertainment is beyond belief and especially from a director like William Friedkin. A young man is heavily in debt to a gangster. He comes up with the idea of hiring a hit-man to kill his own mother because she has a life insurance policy for $50,000. He has heard of a man named Killer Joe, who is also a police officer who will do it for $20,000. An appointment with the killer is made and his fee is $25000, but he can only pay when the policy is cashed. The killer first of all refuses, but changes his mind, because he has the hots for the young mans sister, so he decides to have an affair with the sister until the money is paid. Both his father and daughter are involved in the plot as his father is now living with another woman who is an alcoholic. I won"t spoil the rest of the so called story.1] Would a hit-man announce that he is a police officer? 2.After he pays the hit-man the $25,000, $25,000 is left to be split between his Stepmother, Father, his sister and himself which i $6,166 each. 3] Out of his share, i ask, how much is this heavy debt? After the murder, we are then for the rest of the film, subjected to some of the most sickening violence i have ever seen. Years ago Hollywood complained about the violence in Sam Peckinpah"s movies. My only criticism of Peckinpah was his treatment of women in his films, but the violence towards women in Killer Joe, makes the rape scene in Straw Dogs look like a kissing scene from a Walt Disney film. At least Peckinpah"s films had a story unlike this. I have always been an admire of the work of actor Matthew McConaughey, but how he could act in this is beyond me. It was so sickening i could"nt eat the rest of my dinner, i had to throw it away. Usually these type of roles are given to unknown players, but i suppose bringing in established actors in would bring in more money, but how they could have worked on this i don"t know. Established or not, i wouldn"t work on a film like this for any amount of money. I have given this 1-10, as it is not possible to give it a 0.

Killer Joe is a roller-coaster of a movie. At first it seems like a dark comedy, then a crime drama plot starts to uncover, and by the end it becomes downright terrifying. I'm a sucker for these kinds of movies and Killer Joe absolutely nails everything it goes for. This kind of story couldn't be pulled off without the right director. Thankfully William Friedkin knocks it out of the park. You can smell the white trash emanating from the screen. Every detail of every action is given the right amount of attention; every shot has purpose. Not one second is gone to waste. And in order for a story like this to truly resonate you'd need competent actors, and I don't think you could find a more perfect cast for Killer Joe if you tried. McConaughey is absolutely mesmerizing as this badass detective who's a hit-man on the side. The story revolves around a trailer trash family and their plan to exploit an insurance policy on the husband's ex-wife because the son got wrapped up in a bad drug deal, so they hire Killer Joe to do the job. Little do they know, Killer Joe does not f*ck around. It's a graphic movie but it's not gratuitous. There's a reason for everything that is shown. And the narrative slowly builds to an explosive climax that leaves you flabbergasted. Seriously, the final scene in this movie which is about 10 minutes long, is absolutely phenomenal. Shocking, riveting, unsettling. Matthew McConaughey is downright villainous in this role. It's hard to call him a "villain" because he's straightforward in his motivations, much like it's hard to call the family the "heroes" because they're a bunch of moronic assholes, except the daughter who just doesn't know any better. The line between good and evil is blurred to the point of nonexistence, with Joe epitomizing this duality being the half detective half gun-for-hire hard-ass that he is. It's quite poetic, really. The characters in this movie are scum, and they all get what's coming to them.Killer Joe is a lot of things, but one thing it's not is scatterbrained. It's entirely focused and cohesive. All the genres it glosses over fit right into this depraved story arc, and it grips you to the screen from beginning to end. This movie certainly isn't for everyone, but if you can stomach Killer Joe, you won't soon forget it.