The Ice Harvest

"Thick Thieves. Thin Ice."

2005 1h 28m EN

😐

5.9

MID

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

6.2

IMDB

★5.9TMDB · 347●62Metacritic★6.2IMDB · 25,901

CrimeComedyDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A shady lawyer attempts a Christmas Eve crime, hoping to swindle the local mob out of some money. But his partner, a strip club owner, might have different plans for the cash.

“Thick Thieves. Thin Ice.”

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Cast

John Cusack
Charlie
Billy Bob Thornton
Vic
Connie Nielsen
Renata Crest
Randy Quaid
Bill Guerrard
Oliver Platt
Pete Van Heuten
Mike Starr
Roy Gelles
Ned Bellamy
Sidney
T.J. Jagodowski
Officer Tyler

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Harold Ramis
Writers: Richard Russo, Robert Benton
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

RUNTIME

Did you know

88 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 63% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 21 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Directed by Harold Ramis, shot by Alar Kivilo. 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 David Kitay. 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 Lee Percy 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

John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Nielsen carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Thick Thieves. Thin Ice.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Harold Ramis directs. Alar Kivilo behind the camera. David Kitay scores. Lee Percy 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

188 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Earned back only 63% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
3Released 21 years ago.
4Directed by Harold Ramis, shot by Alar Kivilo. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by David Kitay. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Lee Percy shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton and Connie Nielsen carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Thick Thieves. Thin Ice.".
9IMDB entry: tt0400525 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 15 themes, including "escape", "gangster", "stripper", "strip club".

The technical file

Cinematography: Alar Kivilo
Original score: David Kitay
Editing: Lee Percy
Production design: Patrizia von Brandenstein
Costume design: Susan Kaufmann
Sound: Ron Bochar
Runtime: 88 min · 1h 28m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $16,000,000
Box office: $10,156,958
Return: 63% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The Ice Harvest (2005)
Metacritic: 62/100
IMDB rating: 6.2/10 · 25,901 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

2 nominations total

Also by

Harold Ramis

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Community reviews

What people are saying

kendallgibson2026-08-31
★ 6/10
This is not exactly the best infomercial for living in Kansas 'cause you got strippers, murder, devastating cold -- oh wait, nevermind. It is the best infomercial for living in Kansas! John Cusack is a mob lawyer who steals money from his employer along with Billy Bob Thornton and both men discover the true meaning of Christmas, which is that $2 million dollars in 2005 was apparently 'F You' money. I was surprised, nay, SHOCKED to see a real naked woman neon sign -- don't children have to drive by that? The icing on the cake for this movie is its director, Harold Ramis. There is some blue comedy in Ghostbusters, but this pushes the needle way past turquoise and all the way to midnight. Thornton is the best part, by a mile, in my opinion. He is equal parts creepy and conniving, and his death is poetically satisfactory. If you read the book first, let me know if it's better, then I'll build a time machine and consume them in the right order.

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