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Kalifornia

Kalifornia

Thriller · Crime · 1993

A journalist duo go on a tour of serial killer murder sites with two companions, unaware that one of them is a serial killer himself.

Movie details

Kalifornia

“Fear never travels alone.”

1993 Thriller · Crime 1h 58m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

A journalist duo go on a tour of serial killer murder sites with two companions, unaware that one of them is a serial killer himself.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Kalifornia?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

The Call

The Call

Crime · 2013

Jordan Turner is an experienced 911 operator but when she makes an error in judgment and a call ends badly, Jordan is rattled and unsure if she can continue. But when teenager Casey Welson is abducted in the back of a man's car and calls 911, Jordan is the one called upon to use all of her experience, insights and quick thinking to help Casey escape, and not just to save her, but to make sure the man is brought to justice.

Mr. Brooks

Mr. Brooks

Crime · 2007

A psychological thriller about a man who is sometimes controlled by his murder-and-mayhem-loving alter ego.

Zodiac

Zodiac

Crime · 2007

Over the course of a decade, editors of the San Francisco Chronicle entice themselves in the murders of the Zodiac Killer. However, as time runs its course, interest in the case dwindles in the eyes of the professionals. The Killer stops interacting with the public. However, believing he has the answers, an amateur cartoonist from the initial sightings races against time to prevent what he believes is another murder.

True Crime

True Crime

Crime · 1999

Boozer, skirt chaser, careless father. You could create your own list of reporter Steve Everett's faults but there's no time. A San Quentin Death Row prisoner is slated to die at midnight – a man Everett has suddenly realized is innocent.

Unhinged

Unhinged

Action · 2020

Rachel is a divorced single mother whose bad day gets even worse. She's running late to drop her son off at school when she honks her horn impatiently at a fellow driver during rush-hour traffic. After an exchange of words, she soon realizes that the mysterious man is following her and her young son in his truck. A case of road rage quickly escalates, at horrifyingly psychotic proportions, into full-blown terror as Rachel discovers the psychopath's sinister plan for revenge. He is single-mindedly determined to teach her a deadly lesson.

Nightcrawler

Nightcrawler

Crime · 2014

When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.

The Hitcher

The Hitcher

Horror · 1986

On a stormy night, young Jim, who transports a luxury car from Chicago to California to deliver it to its owner, feeling tired and sleepy, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who has appeared out of nowhere, thinking that a good conversation will help him not to fall asleep. He will have enough time to deeply regret such an unmeditated decision.

Natural Born Killers

Natural Born Killers

Crime · 1994

Two victims of traumatized childhoods become lovers and serial murderers irresponsibly glorified by the mass media.

The Hitcher

The Hitcher

Crime · 2007

While driving through the New Mexico Desert during a rainy night, college students Jim Halsey and his girlfriend Grace Andrews give a ride to a hitchhiker. While in their car, the stranger proves to be a psychopath threatening the young couple with a knife, but Jim successfully throws him out of the car. This sets off a chain of events that will change all of their lives forever.

Vacancy

Vacancy

Horror · 2007

A young married couple becomes stranded at an isolated motel and find hidden video cameras in their room. They realize that unless they escape, they'll be the next victims of a snuff film.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Dominic Sena

Written by

Stephen Levy · Tim Metcalfe

Brad Pitt

Brad Pitt

Early Grayce

David Duchovny

David Duchovny

Brian Kessler

Juliette Lewis

Juliette Lewis

Adele Corners

Michelle Forbes

Michelle Forbes

Carrie Laughlin

Sierra Pecheur

Sierra Pecheur

Mrs. Musgrave

John Dullaghan

John Dullaghan

Mr. Musgrave

K

Kathy Larson

Teenage Girl

Court is in session

Put Kalifornia on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Sentimental Softie

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.