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.
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Falling Down
Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1993
An ordinary man frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them.
Movie details
Falling Down
“The adventures of an ordinary man at war with the everyday world.”
1993 Crime · Drama · Thriller 1h 53m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.4 / 10
Community rating
An ordinary man frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them.
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 Falling Down?
For the defence
The Big-Idea Head
“You watch with your brain, not your gut.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe 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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Menace II Society
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A young street hustler attempts to escape the rigors and temptations of the ghetto in a quest for a better life.
Bound by Honor
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Based on the true life experiences of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca, the film focuses on half-brothers Paco and Cruz, and their bi-racial cousin Miklo. It opens in 1972, as the three are members of an East L.A. gang known as the "Vatos Locos", and the story focuses on how a violent crime and the influence of narcotics alter their lives. Miklo is incarcerated and sent to San Quentin, where he makes a "home" for himself. Cruz becomes an exceptional artist, but a heroin addiction overcomes him with tragic results. Paco becomes a cop and an enemy to his "carnal", Miklo.
Dark Blue
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Violent Ends
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Lucas Frost, an honest man brought up in a crime family whose only legacy is violence, tries to make his own life with his fiancée, Emma. He is suddenly pulled back into the family business he so despises when his cousin, Eli, perpetrates an armed robbery on a local scrap yard and an innocent life is caught in the crossfire.
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.
Night Always Comes
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Facing eviction in a city her family can no longer afford, a woman plunges into a desperate and increasingly dangerous all-night search to raise $25,000.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Joel Schumacher
Written by
Ebbe Roe Smith
Michael Douglas
D-Fens
Robert Duvall
Prendergast
Barbara Hershey
Beth
Rachel Ticotin
Sandra
Tuesday Weld
Mrs. Prendergast
Frederic Forrest
Surplus Store Owner
Lois Smith
D-Fens' Mother
Court is in session
Put Falling Down on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
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.