Movie · 2012 · Crime, Drama, Western · 1h 55m · R · English
Curator score: 3.9/10 (359.7K ratings)
When the law became corrupt, outlaws became heroes.
Overview
In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Virginia, run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business — bootlegging. Middle brother Forrest is the brain of the operation; older Howard is the brawn, and younger Jack, the lookout. Though the local police have taken bribes and left the brothers alone, a violent war erupts when a sadistic lawman from Chicago arrives and tries to shut down the Bondurants operation.
Ratings
Curator score: 3.9/10
IMDb: 7.2/10
Letterboxd: 3.40/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%
Metacritic: 58
TMDB: 7.1/10
Director
John Hillcoat
Production
Benaroya Pictures, Yucaipa Films, Annapurna Pictures, Pie Films Inc., Red Wagon Entertainment, Revolt Films
Cast
Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce, Jason Clarke, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Dane DeHaan, Lew Temple, Chris McGarry, Tim Tolin, Marcus Hester, Bill Camp, Alex Van, Noah Taylor, Mark Ashworth, Tom Proctor, Bruce McKinnon, Eric Mendenhall, Toni Byrd
Where to watch
fuboTV, Curiosity Stream
Curator Review
Verdict
A rugged, well-cast Prohibition crime drama with strong atmosphere, bruising violence, and a memorable sense of backwoods outlaw mythology. It’s more compelling as a mood piece and ensemble showcase than as a tightly written gangster saga, but fans of dirty-period crime stories will likely get plenty out of it.
Best for
Viewers who like period crime dramas with a western edge
Fans of grim, tactile violence and outlaw-family dynamics
People drawn to strong ensemble casting and atmosphere over plot complexity
Skip if
You want a sharply written, twisty crime script
You prefer a lighter or more stylish Prohibition movie
You’re impatient with slow-burn storytelling and familiar rise-and-fall beats
Overview
Lawless works best when it leans into texture: dust, sweat, moonshine, and the hard-earned code of a family that survives by being meaner and more stubborn than everyone around them. The cast gives it real muscle, especially in the Bondurant brothers’ stoic chemistry and the villain’s theatrical menace, which keeps the film lively even when the script feels a little conventional.
Worth noting
John Hillcoat stages the violence with blunt force rather than flair, and that fits the material. This is less a grand gangster epic than a rough-hewn frontier crime story, closer to a western in spirit than a sleek mob movie. The result is entertaining and often vivid, even if it never quite reaches the emotional or dramatic depth it seems to be aiming for.
Bottom line
If you like your period crime films dirty, fatalistic, and anchored by a strong sense of place, it’s worth a look. If you need narrative precision or a truly memorable final payoff, it may leave you admiring the craft more than loving the whole package.
Top Letterboxd reviews
@Mr. Like🔥🔥🔥 (3.5★) · 344 likes
Rotten Tomatoes: 67%Metacritic Metascore: 58IMDB: 7.3
77/100
Release Date: 29 August 2012Distributor: Anchor Bay EntertainmentBudget: $26MWorldwide Gross: $55.4MTotal Film Awards: 1
Forrest Bondurant: "Jack, look at me. We're survivors. We control the fear. And without the fear, we are all as good as dead. Do you understand? - Do you?"
Lawless takes a unique perspective of the prohibition era away from the gangsters of the day to the people that ran the moonshine distilling… more
Silent J (4.5★) · 289 likes
Lawless, oh Lawless
You may not be so flawless
But I'll be damned if you left me thoughtless
I thought you'd be fun like a party
I got a surprise especially from Hardy
Even Shia pulls his weight, he's not so annoying
Not for a second did he stop me from enjoying
Let's not forget Mia and Gary and Noah oh my
And even Jessica, who still brings a glimmer to my eye
Then of course there's Guy; he stole… more Lawless, oh Lawless
You may not be so flawless
But I'll be damned if you left me thoughtless
I thought you'd be fun like a party
I got a surprise especially from Hardy
Even Shia pulls his weight, he's not so annoying
Not for a second did he stop me from enjoying
Let's not forget Mia and Gary and Noah oh my
And even Jessica, who still brings a glimmer to my eye
Then of course there's Guy; he stole… more
Simone (4.5★) · 193 likes
Things I’m thankful for: • Tom Hardy's mouth • Gary Oldman's crazy killer man face • Jessica Chastain's class • Mia Wasikowska's smile • Shia LeBoeuf's tearful eyes • Tom Hardy's face • Tom Hardy's bad assery • Guy Pierce's natural penchant for snobbery • Tom Hardy's silly hat
Now that I have the bullshit off of my chest, on to a real review…
Lawless is an entertaining film that falls just short of greatness because of uninspired writing and… more
leo 🕷️ (4★) · 126 likes
i love family oriented movies, even the violent ones.
2007 · Crime, Thriller, Western · 2h 2m · R · Curator 9.6/10 (3.1M ratings) · Where to watch: fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, MGM Plus, Philo
Shares the same bleak fatalism, rural menace, and unforgiving violence.