Movie · 2005 · Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller · 1h 43m · R · English
Curator score: 6.8/10 (253K ratings)
Sex. Murder. Mystery. Welcome to the party.
Overview
A petty thief posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl and a detective who's been training him for his upcoming role...
Ratings
Curator score: 6.8/10
IMDb: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 86%
Metacritic: 73
TMDB: 7.2/10
Director
Shane Black
Production
Silver Pictures
Cast
Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen, Dash Mihok, Larry Miller, Rockmond Dunbar, Shannyn Sossamon, Angela Lindvall, Indio Falconer Downey, Ariel Winter, Duane Carnahan, Josh Richman, Martha Hackett, Nancy Fish, Bill McAdams Jr., Tanja Reichert, Jake McKinnon, Stephanie Pearson, Christopher Gilman
Curator Review
Verdict
A sharp, fast-talking neo-noir that turns a murder mystery into a showcase for chemistry, self-aware humor, and hardboiled style. It’s especially rewarding if you like crime stories that are more interested in banter, character friction, and genre play than in strict realism.
Best for
fans of snappy dialogue and meta-noir
viewers who like crime comedies with bite
people who enjoy mismatched buddy dynamics
fans of Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer
audiences who appreciate 2000s studio genre revivals
Skip if
you want a serious or emotionally grounded detective story
you dislike smug, self-aware humor
you prefer straightforward mysteries with clean plotting
you’re sensitive to abrasive jokes or cynical tone
Overview
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is one of the defining postmodern crime comedies of the 2000s: a murder mystery that keeps interrupting itself with jokes, narration, and character feuds. Shane Black’s script is built on velocity and attitude, but it also knows how to make the mystery feel slippery and dangerous enough to matter.
Worth noting
The movie’s real engine is the chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, who turn every scene into a contest of wit, irritation, and unexpected warmth. Downey’s self-lacerating charm and Kilmer’s deadpan authority give the film a very specific snap that makes even familiar noir beats feel newly alive.
Bottom line
It’s not for everyone. The film can be aggressively clever, occasionally smug, and more interested in verbal sparring than emotional depth. But if you like your crime stories with a comic edge and a strong sense of style, it’s a very easy recommendation.
Top Letterboxd reviews
cinéfila... 🕯️ (4.5★) · 4091 likes
val kilmer as an unkillable gay who spends most of the movie verbally destroying robert downey jr is a dream come true
Josh Lewis (5★) · 2198 likes
"No, my question, I get to go first: why in pluperfect hell would you pee on a corpse?"
vi (4.5★) · 1809 likes
i'm retired, i invented dice when i was a kid
fran hoepfner (4★) · 1705 likes
this very quickly went from "wow, some fun dialogue here" to "please don't kill my 3 new friends"
Silent J (5★) · 1350 likes
He played Iron Man, a black man, Charlie Chaplin, and Wesley Snipes AIDS stricken best friend, but I'm certain Robert Downey Jr's best performance was as The Amazing Harold (formerly Harold the Great).
He played Batman, Iceman, Jim Morrison, and Doc Holliday, but I'm positive that Val Kilmer's best performance was as Gay Perry (also, he's gay).
He wrote Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 2, The Long Kiss Goodnight, and Iron Man 3, but I'm pretty sure the best thing Shane… more
1963 · Comedy, Mystery, Romance · 1h 53m · NR · Curator 8.5/10 (289K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Pure Flix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Bloodstream
For a stylish, witty mystery with romantic tension, shifting identities, and constant tonal agility.