A criminal bides his time at a seedy motel, waiting for his boss after killing several men and making away with a mystery bag.A criminal bides his time at a seedy motel, waiting for his boss after killing several men and making away with a mystery bag.A criminal bides his time at a seedy motel, waiting for his boss after killing several men and making away with a mystery bag.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
Sticky Fingaz
- Lizard
- (as Kirk 'Sticky Fingaz' Jones)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
Finally you stopped using those stupid shaky cameras. Like I want to pay to see a movie filmed with the same quality as my kids birthday parties. Now you insist on having a bunch of action in the dark. Directors, find a way for the audience to see what's happening . Story has great actors, doing a great job with a bad script and clueless directing.
I was really attracted to this movie due to the cast. I love Crispin Glover, and his role and acting were great. I felt the script was really weak at times, which left the other two stars, Jon Cusack and Robert DeNiro looking pretty pathetic. The chick was smoking hot, but again the acting seemed like acting. No Oscars here.
I also felt the director was building a few moments to crescendo and reveal a shocking truth or twist, but the film was so predictable, all the efforts fell short. The movie dragged on and in the end, predictable.
I did like the location of the motel, a really creepy atmosphere. Good job, location scout.
This movie is watchable, but not something you'll be telling friends about.
I also felt the director was building a few moments to crescendo and reveal a shocking truth or twist, but the film was so predictable, all the efforts fell short. The movie dragged on and in the end, predictable.
I did like the location of the motel, a really creepy atmosphere. Good job, location scout.
This movie is watchable, but not something you'll be telling friends about.
Another one of those movies that barely gets a theatrical release you find on-demand, "The Bag Man" stars John Cusack in another fine performance as a hit man, who goes against his boss, played by Robert DeNiro. I noticed that DeNiro is looking very much like Hollywood legendary producer, Robert Evans, in this. Now DeNiro had co-starred in the 1997 film "Wag the Dog" alongside Dustin Hoffman, who admitted he took his character's inspiration from Robert Evans, so I was wondering if maybe DeNiro was doing the same here- with the look of the character anyways?? Well, anyway, overall I found myself enjoying this little film. Without giving anything away, I did sorta predict the ending, however, the performances were decent enough I would recommend seeing this- especially for fans of Cusack.
At the start of The Bag Man, you get excited to see Cusack returning to his hit-man- persona ala Grosse Point Blank. Unfortunately, the film is nowhere near the caliber it should be. This is a film that rolls in dread and tries to put a Tarantino-esque spin on an age old storyline, needless to say, it doesn't work. As you watch the film and get further into the story, the central question of "what's in the bag" becomes less and less interesting and appealing. Despite a flat story, The Bag Man features strong performances from John Cusack and Rebecca De Costa which keeps the audience intrigued, even if the story doesn't. Robert De Niro can play a gangster in his sleep, so I can't exactly praise him for his performance here. Although, it is Robert De Niro so any screen presence he has is still good, just not as good as everybody wants him to be. The rest of the supporting cast, such as Crispin Glover and Dominic Purcell are mediocre, at best.
Overall, this film doesn't quite work the way we want it to. It sags in the middle and then gets a pick-me-up at the end. It doesn't click like it should, which is frustrating considering the talent behind the film. The Bag Man wants to be the best Tarantino movie that Tarantino never made. Instead, it looks and feels like a cheap direct-to-DVD mess with an A-list cast.
Overall, this film doesn't quite work the way we want it to. It sags in the middle and then gets a pick-me-up at the end. It doesn't click like it should, which is frustrating considering the talent behind the film. The Bag Man wants to be the best Tarantino movie that Tarantino never made. Instead, it looks and feels like a cheap direct-to-DVD mess with an A-list cast.
I usually watch movies based on their high IMDb scores, but movies like "The Bag Man" are why I sometimes dip down into the 5's and 6's. At first I was surprised to see so many reviewers call it "boring", "bad" and "nonsensical", but then I realized that this film just isn't for everybody, but for some--like me--it's riveting. Almost the entire movie takes place during one night at a roadside hotel, where our protagonist, a contract killer (Cusack), is meant to go with a package and wait for pickup. Only everything and everyone around him seem to be set against him. The characters he meets and adventures he has there are fascinating, quirky, and surreal. The best way I can describe it is as a mix between "Identity", "Mulholland Dr.", and The Book of Genesis.
I think this movie has gotten so many bad reviews because it doesn't fit the mold. It defies expectations, and some people won't like that. But if you're looking for something different, something that can surprise you, watch "The Bag Man". And try to vanquish your expectations.
Special props to Crispin Glover for portraying the hilariously strange Ned. My favorite character!
I think this movie has gotten so many bad reviews because it doesn't fit the mold. It defies expectations, and some people won't like that. But if you're looking for something different, something that can surprise you, watch "The Bag Man". And try to vanquish your expectations.
Special props to Crispin Glover for portraying the hilariously strange Ned. My favorite character!
Did you know
- TriviaThe paintings of Robert De Niro, Sr. (Robert De Niro's father) are shown at the end of the film, as Dragna walks around and explains his plan to Rivka.
- GoofsWhen John Cusack checks into room 13, the desk clerk tells him that it is NOT an interconnecting room. When they're hiding in room 14, Robert De Niro crashes through a door and tells him "Lucky there are interconnecting rooms"..
- ConnectionsFeatured in Celebrated: John Cusack (2015)
- SoundtracksNumb
Written by Gary Clark Jr.
Performed by Gary Clark Jr.
Courtesy of Warner Brothers Records Inc.
By arrangement with Warner Music group Film & TV Licensing
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Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- The Bag Man
- Filming locations
- Long Island, New York, USA(Dragna's home)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $56,574
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $29,231
- Mar 2, 2014
- Gross worldwide
- $461,780
- Runtime1 hour 48 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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