Lawless

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Lawless

R

2012

1h 55m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

216 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Va., run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business, bootlegging. Middle brother Forrest (Tom Hardy) is the brain of the operation; older Howard (Jason Clarke) is the brawn, and younger Jack (Shia LaBeouf), the lookout. Though the local police have taken bribes and left the brothers alone, a violent war erupts when a sadistic lawman (Guy Pearce) from Chicago arrives and tries to shut down the Bondurants operation.

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Critics Consensus

Grim, bloody, and utterly flawed, Lawless doesn't quite achieve the epic status it strains for, but it's too beautifully filmed and powerfully acted to dismiss.

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J. Hoberman

ARTINFO.com

Feb 22, 2019

Lawless wants to be something larger than life, but it's too joyless to be a tall tale and too self-satisfied for tragedy.

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Nicolas Rapold

Film Comment Magazine

Jul 1, 2013

Hillcoat makes a foray into Virginia's Prohibition-era moonshine country. But the adaptation (by Hillcoat compadre Nick Cave) is a hokey piece of pop history that wearyingly insists upon its own mythos like a comic-book blockbuster.

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David Thomson

The New Republic

Jun 14, 2013

It's slight and casual to the point of laziness, but it's straight fun, done with knowledge and a laconic pleasure. You could do far worse.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Jul 20, 2025

3/5

"Lawless" has its easily definable good guys, bad guys, and, most crucial of all, the morality play that plugs in emotion to a foreign and past barbaric time.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Oct 3, 2022

3/4

There isn't much dimension to these proceedings and not an inkling of greater meaning beyond the story at hand, but it’s such a well-made picture that one can hardly protest.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Aug 23, 2022

4/5

“Lawless” is a tough, bloody, and violent action picture that’s very honest in what it’s trying to be. The story is simple and nothing will catch you by surprise. But it’s also compelling and the characters are easy to invest in.

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Judah S

@Judah3963 Sep 5, 2026

I respect its commitment to style and its interesting story, but I can’t get around to its writing or its ending.

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Scott B

@sburke802 Aug 29, 2026

Great Movie with a Great Cast.

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Chris B

@Papa13070 Aug 11, 2026

Lawless takes a unique perspective of the prohibition era away from the gangsters of the day to the people that ran the moonshine distilling and distribution businesses behind the scenes and the challenges they faced. Based on a true story, this movie follows 3 brothers as they fight for their position and respect in the illegal business. Few actors bring a high level of intensity to the character they play as Tom Hardy does and for his role as Forrest Bondurant, it's no let down. Shia LaBouf is too hokey an actor to take seriously in his role and tended to undersell some scenes due to a lack of appropriate or sincere expression and others like when he was getting a beat down by Special Deputy Charley Rakes couldn't oversell the scene more unless he did actual cartwheels after getting hit. The rest of the cast gave a quality performance and overall this movie is an interesting and exciting film to see.

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Meri S

@mschroeder Jul 25, 2026

That was a violent one. The acting was good, casting well done. Need a palette cleanser after watching this one though.

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Rob A

@RT76386004 Jun 20, 2026

A violent period piece (prohibition) with an unbelievable cast including Jason Clarke, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Guy Pierce, Gary Oldman and Shia Lebouf.

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Haley S.

@haleyserafine May 30, 2026

Hands down my favorite movie! Never gets old. 💙

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John Hillcoat

Director

Shia LaBeouf

Jack Bondurant

Tom Hardy

Forrest Bondurant

Jason Clarke

Howard Bondurant

Guy Pearce

Charley Rakes

Jessica Chastain

Maggie Beauford

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Synopsis

In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Va., run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business, bootlegging. Middle brother Forrest (Tom Hardy) is the brain of the operation; older Howard (Jason Clarke) is the brawn, and younger Jack (Shia LaBeouf), the lookout. Though the local police have taken bribes and left the brothers alone, a violent war erupts when a sadistic lawman (Guy Pearce) from Chicago arrives and tries to shut down the Bondurants operation.

Director: John Hillcoat
Producer: Douglas Wick, Lucy Fisher, Megan Ellison, Michael Benaroya
Screenwriter: Nick Cave
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: Annapurna Pictures, Blumhansonallen Films, Douglas Wick/Lucy Fisher
Rating: R (Some Sexuality/Nudity|Language|Strong Bloody Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 29, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $37.3M
Runtime: 1h 55m

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