Straw Dogs

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Straw Dogs

R

2011

1h 50m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

42%

Tomatometer

124 Reviews

34%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Married couple David (James Marsden) and Amy (Kate Bosworth) move to her hometown of Blackwater, Miss., after her father's death. They have a plan to renovate Amy's old home and prepare it for sale while David works on his latest screenplay. However, the sophisticated couple's arrival stirs resentment and suspicion among the locals, especially from Charlie (Alexander Skarsgård), Amy's former boyfriend. Tension continues to build, leading to an extremely violent confrontation.

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Critics Consensus

This remake streamlines the plot but ultimately makes a fatal mistake: It celebrates violence.

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Keith Uhlich

Time Out

Nov 17, 2011

1/5

What in the Sam Peckinpah Hill is this?!?

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Nov 3, 2011

2/5

It isn't badly made, but what's the point of rebooting Straw Dogs, if the only object is to repackage it, and make it marginally less offensive?

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Robbie Collin

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Nov 3, 2011

3/5

Rod Lurie has adapted with intelligence...

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Mar 8, 2023

2/4

A wholly unnecessary Hollywood treatment of Sam Peckinpah’s unsettling and controversial 1971 original.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Nov 30, 2020

6/10

It's a testament to the power of the story (Sam Peckinpah's adaptation of Gordon Williams' novel) that the 2011 remake is still entertaining despite its numerous shortcomings.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Sep 24, 2020

3.0/4.0

The film is really carried by Alexander Skarsgard's incredibly disturbing turn.

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 7, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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Charles H

@Niccolo2026 Jul 26, 2026

Some good old fashion butt kicking cinema. The last 20 mins or so are intense.

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Jeffrey P

@vanillavoodoo1 Jun 15, 2026

Went mostly as expected, but captvating, nonetheless.

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Jamie C.

@JamieChill Apr 26, 2026

I’m biased because I’m from a small town and totally relate to this. It’s kinda funny how the geek beats the jocks but overall- (I watch a movie every night,) & this has been the peak of my week.

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Briana I.

@Anaire Apr 22, 2026

Very stupid film only men would enjoy... White promiscuous wife thinks it's ok to be disrespectful to her husband and tease her ex and redneck friends because she wants to be a childish hoe but then turns victim when you reap what you sow happens to her hmmm.... The husband was a naive sissy most of the film, who invited the devil in his home when he gave them work. The end was a good example of " Im not a killer, but don't push me" lol Overall Very stupid movie and basically an accurate portrayal of how white people think and are in real life... ALWAYS THE VICTIM, NEVER THE PROVOKERS!

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Peter M

@Movieman21 Mar 18, 2026

Where the original one was slow, insipid, dragging, depressing, this is a smart, fresh, exciting well approached remake with a standout performance by Skarsgard. Kate Bosworthy adds sultry hotness. This one is never boring, and always engaging.

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Rod Lurie

Director

James Marsden

David Sumner

Kate Bosworth

Amy Sumner

Alexander Skarsgård

Charlie

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Synopsis

Married couple David (James Marsden) and Amy (Kate Bosworth) move to her hometown of Blackwater, Miss., after her father's death. They have a plan to renovate Amy's old home and prepare it for sale while David works on his latest screenplay. However, the sophisticated couple's arrival stirs resentment and suspicion among the locals, especially from Charlie (Alexander Skarsgård), Amy's former boyfriend. Tension continues to build, leading to an extremely violent confrontation.

Director: Rod Lurie
Producer: Marc Frydman
Screenwriter: Rod Lurie
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Battleplan Productions
Rating: R (Menace|A Sexual Attack|Pervasive Language|Some Sexual Content|Strong Brutal Violence)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 16, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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