Badlands

Item: Badlands
Rating: 8
Author: Christopher Null

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"Excellent"

Badlands Review

By Christopher Null

Terrence Malick introduced his odd yet highly compelling filmmaking style in this 1973 feature, inspired by the long murder spree of Charles Starkweather (here Kit Carruthers, played by Martin Sheen). Carruthers is a garbage man who spies Holly (Sissy Spacek, who narrates disaffectedly) twirling her baton, soon after he's shot her family dead and they're on the run, living in the woods and the badlands of the northern midwest as they try to get to Canada to make a hastily planned escape. Body counts rise, but Malick isn't overly concerned with the violence. He takes us inside the heads of this bizarre duo, the quiet sociopath Kit and the even quieter neurotic Holly. One of cinema's most curious character studies and probably still Malick's best film.

Facts and Figures

Year: 1973

Run time: 94 mins

In Theaters: Saturday 5th January 1974

Distributed by: Warner Bros. Pictures

Production compaines: Pressman-Williams, Jill Jakes Production, Badlands Company, Warner Brothers

Reviews

Contactmusic.com: 4 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
Fresh: 49 Rotten: 1

IMDB: 7.9 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director: Terrence Malick

Producer: Terrence Malick

Screenwriter: Terrence Malick

Starring: Martin Sheen as Kit Carruthers, Sissy Spacek as Holly Sargis, Warren Oates as Holly's Father, Gary Littlejohn as Sheriff, Alan Vint as Deputy, Ramon Bieri as Cato, John Womack Jr. as Trooper, John Carter as Rich Man, Emilio Estevez as Boy Under Lamppost, Charlie Sheen as Boy Under Lamppost, Bryan Montgomery as Boy, Gail Threlkeld as Girl, Charles Fitzpatrick as Clerk, Terrence Malick as Caller at Rich Man's House