Natural Born Killers

As an avowed idealist, I still feel that crime should be followed by punishment, which is why the questionable ending with Mallory and Mickey didn't sit well with me at all. Sure, it's a satire, but if a psychopath sees it, he or she might interpret the overall tone of the film differently (which apparently actually happened a few times). The film is formally brilliant, though, starting with the opening sitcom and ending with the animated inserts, and I won't go below 4* for this directorial and cinematographic treat. (01.09.2002)

Television and the media became something so hideous and filthy, but at the same time politically correct and sleek, that it began to grotesquely reflect that which we call life. Stone takes this situation to such extremes in Killers that even the dumbest dolt in Texas will know it's definitely not okay. The human mind is sick, and the purest thing hidden in a person is… (13.08.2011)

I’ve never had anything against Oliver Stone’s directorial invention and political incorrectness, but this is already too much. His most intense film, where the violence goes to such an extreme that it practically overpowers the story and becomes the protagonist. (07.05.2005)

You can think about this film what you want, but you can’t refute the simple fact that it’s damn well and stylishly made. A story by the great QT (there could have been a million adaptations, but the original idea came from him), the all-powerful Oliver Stone behind the camera, Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis as popular mass murderers, and Tommy Lee Jones as a crazed prison warden? Well, don't buy it, especially when the story as a whole is such an indescribable directorial exhibition and a mixture of so many great and imaginative scenes that the lack of logic or limits of tolerance is the last thing that can interest the ordinary viewer. It's true that the film could be perfectly inspiring, but anyone with half a brain will realise that it's just a very bold satire and won’t look for anything bad behind it. I can't give it a full score because by the end it becomes insane, but otherwise I can't really say a negative word. That said, the ending was so entertaining that even now the memory of a dishevelled Jones and a mad Downey brings a smile to my face. 85% (02.05.2013)

I mean, if I saw any serious attempt at a message in this, I'd go down with my stars. Just the idea of a stoned Stone busting a gut on the director's chair and the entire crew probably not understanding what is being asked of them makes me enjoy the film immensely. (03.10.2010)

We can really talk about the style here in great positives, because it is an incredible ride, thanks to the moving camera, which is jittery and enhances the feeling of madness, as well as the switching between color and black-and-white camera, not to mention the various filters that further support the insanity. The story is not worth discussing, it is not as important as showing that it is possible to idolize anything in today's society, including unrestrained violence. In this regard, Oliver Stone wins big with his film. (16.03.2015)

Well, it's directed with bravura – Oliver Stone was an excellent choice. The very opening scene is already impressive, using very distinctive and brilliantly assembled elements. It continues at a similar pace throughout the first half, then comes a satirical section from the prison setting that criticizes and exposes the imbecility of the media and the American mentality in general. Natural Born Killers is a bold, brash, thought-provoking film, and I guess my biggest regret with it is that it didn't end up being another pure Tarantino film, because some of the characters in this film are Tarantino-esque, speak in hints of Tarantino, and if Tarantino had still been allowed to lead them, it might have turned out very differently. Maybe not so serious and gritty, but much more absurd, with a heavy dose of hyperbole and the most outrageous humor. 90% (21.06.2011)