Messenger of Death

"What the cops can't do, he will."

1988 1h 31m EN

😐

6.1

MID

⭐

5.4

IMDB

★6.1TMDB · 106★5.4IMDB · 3,438

ActionCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A Denver reporter investigates the mass murder of a family of Mormons in rural Colorado.

“What the cops can't do, he will.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Charles Bronson
Garret Smith
Trish Van Devere
Jastra Watson
Laurence Luckinbill
Homer Foxx
Daniel Benzali
Barney Doyle
Marilyn Hassett
Josephine Fabrizio
Charles Dierkop
Orville Beecham
Jeff Corey
Willis Beecham
John Ireland
Zenas Beecham

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: J. Lee Thompson
Writers: Paul Jarrico
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 61% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

38 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by J. Lee Thompson, shot by Gideon Porath. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Robert O. Ragland. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Peter Lee-Thompson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charles Bronson and Trish Van Devere and Laurence Luckinbill carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "What the cops can't do, he will.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0095626 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

J. Lee Thompson directs. Gideon Porath behind the camera. Robert O. Ragland scores. Peter Lee-Thompson cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 61% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
238 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by J. Lee Thompson, shot by Gideon Porath. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Robert O. Ragland. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Peter Lee-Thompson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Charles Bronson and Trish Van Devere and Laurence Luckinbill carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "What the cops can't do, he will.".
8IMDB entry: tt0095626 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Gideon Porath
Original score: Robert O. Ragland
Editing: Peter Lee-Thompson
Costume design: Shelley Komarov
Makeup / hair: Manny Benmoshe
Sound: David Cunningham
Stunt coordinator: Ernie F. Orsatti
Runtime: 91 min · 1h 31m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $5,000,000
Box office: $3,074,681
Return: 61% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Messenger of Death (1988)
IMDB rating: 5.4/10 · 3,438 votes
MPAA: R

Also by

J. Lee Thompson

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Community reviews

What people are saying

kevin20192024-02-12
★ 8/10
"Messenger of Death" harks back to a period in Charles Bronson's career when the films he selected to appear in were not almost exclusively preoccupied with the squalid and violent mean streets of "Death Wish" (1974) and the seemingly limitless stream of increasingly pale sequels and imitations it spawned. Bronson rarely participates in any of the action sequences in this film and the story is much stronger and better constructed than usual. The central location of Colorado with its light dusting of snow looks exquisitely chilly and absolutely gorgeous. The most thrilling and exciting of the small ration of action sequences features a Landrover doing battle against two huge tankers and the resulting scene has been superbly put on the screen, but best of all it's good to see Charles Bronson appearing in films which have more substance than we have come to expect.

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