Review of Seven Psychopaths (2012) by Mrmoviebuff — 02 Mar 2017

Director Martin McDonagh and star Colin Farrell return for another dark comedy with 'Seven Psychopaths', after the somewhat slow-burning 'In Bruges' (2008), they decide to tackle a writer's frightening journey as he and his friends land themselves in trouble.

We meet a writer named Marty (Colin Farrell), who is struggling to write a film in Los Angeles, and needs to finish it as soon as possible, the movie he is writing is called "Seven Psychopaths".

Marty's friend, Billy (Sam Rockwell) is an unemployed actor who seems to be making a living by kidnapping dogs, only to return them to their owners and be rewarded money for it. The man helping him do this, Hans (Christopher Walken) has a wife who has been diagnosed with cancer, so he needs the money too.

One day, Billy and Hans steal a Shih Tzu, who is owned by a violent gangster named Charlie Costello (Woody Harrelson), and that is where trouble ensues for the main characters, as they have to do everything they can to make sure that they don't end up getting murdered.

The movie, like the previous film 'In Bruges', suffers from the typical slow-burning pay-off. The comedy delivery is very so-so, and the plot tends to move at a frustrating pace. Farrell, once again, is terrific, and so are Rockwell and Walken.

But, their performances can do better than what this movie had to offer them. At times, I was waiting for the punchline to pay-off, but instead, I found myself waiting to at least chuckle, let alone, roll on the floor laughing.

It is an average comedy.