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Badlands

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EntityQ799202· pop 35· linked from 230 articles

1973 American crime film directed by Terrence Malick

Film · TMDB

7.5

An impressionable teenage girl from a dead-end town and her older greaser boyfriend embark on a killing spree in the South Dakota badlands.

Released: 1974-01-0594 minDir: Terrence MalickCrime, Drama, RomanceBudget: $300,000

Cast

  • Martin Sheen as Kit Carruthers
  • Sissy Spacek as Holly Sargis
  • Warren Oates as Holly's Father
  • Ramon Bieri as Cato
  • Alan Vint as Deputy
  • Gary Littlejohn as Sheriff

Themes

  • mass murder
  • based on true story
  • fugitive
  • on the run
  • on the road
  • killing spree
  • south dakota
  • badlands
  • runaway couple
  • fugitive lovers

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Ratings

IMDb

7.7/10

83,647 votes

Rotten Tomatoes

97%

Metacritic

94/100

Year
1973
Runtime
94 min
Genres
Action, Crime, Drama
Rated
PG
Awards
Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award4 wins & 1 nomination total

via OMDb · IMDb

Key facts

Directed by
Terrence Malick
Written by
Terrence Malick
Produced by
Terrence Malick
Starring
Martin Sheen Sissy Spacek Ramon Bieri Warren Oates
Cinematography
Brian Probyn Tak Fujimoto Stevan Larner
Edited by
Robert Estrin
Music by
George Tipton Carl Orff James Taylor (theme "Migration")
Distributed by
Warner Bros.
Release date
October 15, 1973 ( 1973-10-15 )
Running time
93 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$300,000 (estimated)

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Duration
95
FilmAffinity ID
752069
Show 5 more facts
publication date
1974-03-24
title
Badlands
review score
7.7/10
capital cost
300000
Commons category
Badlands (film)
Sources (10)

via Wikidata · CC0

~16 min read

Article

Badlands is a 1973 American neo-noir period crime drama film written, produced and directed by Terrence Malick, in his directorial debut. The film stars Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, and follows Holly Sargis (Spacek), a 15-year-old who goes on a killing spree with her partner, Kit Carruthers (Sheen). The film also stars Warren Oates and Ramon Bieri. While the story is fictional, it is loosely based on the real-life murder spree of Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, in 1958.

Badlands was released in 1973 to positive reviews from critics, who particularly praised its cinematography, soundtrack—which includes pieces by Carl Orff—and the lead performances. At the 28th British Academy Film Awards, Spacek was nominated for the Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles award, and Sheen won the Best Actor award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.

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