The Act Of Killing

2014 • 122 minutes

About this movie

In this chilling and inventive documentary, executive produced by Errol Morris (The Fog Of War) and Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), the filmmakers examine a Country where death squad leaders are celebrated as heroes, challenging them to reenact their real-life mass-killings in the style of the American movies they love. The hallucinatory result is a cinematic fever dream, an unsettling journey deep into the imaginations of mass-murderers and the shockingly banal regime of corruption and impunity they inhabit. Shaking audiences at the 2012 Toronto and Telluride Film Festivals and winning an Audience Award at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival, The Act of Killing is an unprecedented film.

Ratings and reviews

...but the documentary is incredibly slow. I found myself checking my watch more often than not to see how much time was left. They could have shortened it by an hour and would have still been just as effective. Unfortunately the pace hindered its 5-star potential.

Wow, this was at times surreal and the back story and subject matter of the film not only make it rememberable but give it a place in history. This film was hard to watch at times because this genocide did take not that long ago. People who do not know the background story (mid and foreground, frankly) might not fully appreciate this documentary. Hearts of Darkness: A Film Maker's Apocalypse might be more your speed; either docs are time well spent to me.

Hi, This is a good movie. I had a couple thoughts while watching this movie. One is that the country ended up becoming communist (i.e. a country run by gangsters) although they don't call themselves that. Two is that sincerity can cast out demons. See the last scene. Thanks. God bless. Aaron