Seven Psychopaths

"They won't take any shih tzu."

2012 1h 50m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 4,447

ComedyCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A struggling screenwriter inadvertently becomes entangled in the Los Angeles criminal underworld after his oddball friends kidnap a gangster's beloved Shih Tzu.

“They won't take any shih tzu.”

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Cast

Colin Farrell
Marty Faranan
Sam Rockwell
Billy Bickle
Woody Harrelson
Charlie Costello
Christopher Walken
Hans Kieslowski
Olga Kurylenko
Angela
Tom Waits
Zachariah Rigby
Abbie Cornish
Kaya
Michael Stuhlbarg
Tommy

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Martin McDonagh
Writers: Martin McDonagh
Languages: English, Vietnamese
Countries: United Kingdom, 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

ERA

Did you know

Released 14 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Vietnamese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Martin McDonagh, shot by Ben Davis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Colin Farrell and Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "They won't take any shih tzu.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Martin McDonagh directs. Ben Davis behind the camera. Carter Burwell scores. Lisa Gunning cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English, Vietnamese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 14 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Vietnamese.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by Martin McDonagh, shot by Ben Davis. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Carter Burwell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Lisa Gunning shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Colin Farrell and Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "They won't take any shih tzu.".
9IMDB entry: tt1931533 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 15 themes, including "suicide", "alcohol", "fight", "kidnapping".
11Released under 15 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Ben Davis
Original score: Carter Burwell
Editing: Lisa Gunning
Production design: David Wasco
Costume design: Karen Patch
Makeup / hair: Howard Berger
Sound: Chris Burdon
Stunt coordinator: Mike Smith
Runtime: 110 min · 1h 50m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Box office: $33,035,736
Return: 220% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Seven Psychopaths (2012)

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Martin McDonagh

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Gimly2018-10-06
★ 7/10
The following is a long form review that I originally wrote in 2012. The movie is incredibly convoluted, so it's hard to know what to say that definitely won't end up being a spoiler, so maybe it would be better if I just stuck to talking about the actors, as it's a crazy bunch of them for McDonagh to bring together. Don't believe the trailer, and certainly don't believe the posters. Seven Psychopaths has nothing to do with either of them. Olga Kurylenko (Max Payne, Quantum of Solace) is shamefully under-used, but at least Martin McDonagh acknowledges that his film's female characters are not a focus point, and their weakness is his own failing (in a rather surreal way). I've adored her ever since I first saw her in Hitman, and was absolutely blown away by her Centurion performance. Though she does practically nothing here, it's always fantastic to see her get more work (particularly in such a great film). Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers, Defendor) has also been one I've kept my eye on for some time now. He's a believable psychopath, a strong actor, a funny dude and he has great presence. I've yet to be annoyed by him. Ever. Sam Rockwell (Choke, Iron Man 2) has only recently gained my appreciation, but fuck is he great. I'd seen him and loved him in so many things before, but I never drew the connection. Now in Seven Psychopaths, I feel he has his strongest role to date, moreover, he is certainly the greatest character of the film. Abbie Cornish (Limitless, Sucker Punch) is Australian. I'm Australian. So there's that... No, she's great, I just never really locked her in as a favourite like I do with so many others. Again, in Seven Psychopaths, that's not fault of her own. The script allows little room for women, which is unfortunate, but well handled. She gets much more screen time that Olga Kurylenko, but it would still have been good to get more of her. Christopher Walken (Pulp Fiction, Sleepy Hollow) is the sort of guy that I'd watch a movie just 'cause he's in it, and I don't even know why. Collin Farrell (In Bruges, Fright Night) meshes with me spectacularly poorly. It's hardly like I hate the guy or anything. He's a perfectly adequate actor with a great accent, I guess I just never got the hype. He manages to be the star of Seven Psychopaths, but have the show stolen out from under him by pretty much everyone else on screen. It's rare that I give a film a rating of 80% or more, so if that means anything to you at all, then I implore thee, go watch Seven Psychopaths, it's well worth the price. 84% -Gimly
r96sk2025-03-14
★ 6/10
<em>’Seven Psychopaths’</em> didn’t quite do it for me. It’s not far adrift from being a good movie, I just wasn’t able to connect to it in the end. It kinda has similar issues that I found with this director’s previous film, <em>’In Bruges’</em>; it’s better than that one, mind. The comedy is lacklustre and the cast don’t feel at their best. Colin Farrell, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Walken and Woody Harrelson being in the same flick is a recipe for success, so I am disappointed to say that I didn’t rate this one. The story has some solid moments and in summary is intriguing, though how it is all connected together with everything in-between and how it’s portrayed to us simply didn’t satisfy me unfortunately. His early two films have surprisingly disappointed me, thankfully Martin McDonagh followed them up with two absolute crackers. I hope his upcoming fifth release follows suit.
CinemaSerf2025-06-26
★ 7/10
“Marty” (Colin Farrell) has an idea for a great screenplay, but thus far has only come up with a title. Hungover, as usual, he’s chatting with his pal “Billy” (Sam Rockwell) who is just full of ideas for his psychopathic characters but hates to impose on his creatively constipated buddy. Now “Billy”, aside from having a vivid imagination, is also involved in a cunning wheeze with the cravat wearing “Hans” (Christopher Walken) that involves a bit of high-end schnauzer snaffling! Yep - they dognap! It’s when he turns up to visit the suitably bemused “Marty” with a perfectly pet-icured Shih Zhu and they take quite a perilous trip into the desert that perhaps his juices might flow again? That might be inspiration, but is more likely fear as the dog’s owner is the none-too-charming hoodlum “Charlie” (Woody Harrelson) who wants his mutt back preferably with a few pounds of flesh to feed it with, too! Now they have a surfeit of ideas for his book, but can they stay alive long enough to capitalise on them? This is my favourite outing for the boy from “Ballykissangel” as he looks good, natural and works really well with the scene-stealing Rockwell who has a great comedy timing; with the dapper and wily Walken and with an on-form Harrelson who mixes a faux-charm with shotgun menace entertainingly too. The structure of the story is cumulatively episodic and that allows for plenty of thuggery, bullets and escapades as we build to a denouement that is anything but predictable. Martin McDonagh knows how to combine elements of a thriller with comedy and he also manages to get some collaborative performances here from his cast as they poke fun at the genre whilst remaining entirely immersed in it’s excesses.