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Live by Night

Live by Night

Crime · Drama · History · 2016

A group of Boston-bred gangsters set up shop in balmy Florida during the Prohibition era, facing off against the competition and the Ku Klux Klan.

Movie details

Live by Night

“Joe was once a good man.”

2016 Crime · Drama · History 2h 9m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

A group of Boston-bred gangsters set up shop in balmy Florida during the Prohibition era, facing off against the competition and the Ku Klux Klan.

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 Live by Night?

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.

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Once Upon a Time in America

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Ben Affleck

Written by

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck

Joe Coughlin

Elle Fanning

Elle Fanning

Loretta Figgis

Remo Girone

Remo Girone

Maso Pescatore

Brendan Gleeson

Brendan Gleeson

Thomas Coughlin

Robert Glenister

Robert Glenister

Albert White

Matthew Maher

Matthew Maher

RD Pruitt

Chris Messina

Chris Messina

Dion Bartolo

Court is in session

Put Live by Night on trial.

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

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

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

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

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