In a way, both the crime thrillerKilling them Softlyand the sports dramaF1are about capitalism. One of them features a central character who isn’t in it for the riches, while the other film ends with the protagonist literally demanding the money that’s owed to him. Both movies starBrad Pittin the lead role, but only one of them has been successful. This weekend,F1generated nearly $150 million at the global box office, on the back of positive reviews and near-unanimous praise from audiences. At the same time, it ended up lappingKilling them Softly’s entire box office haul four times in just three days. The crime thriller debuted back in 2012,receivedstraight-up hatefrom audiences, and concluded its run with less than $40 million globally.
It was, however, a film of uncommonly high pedigree. Directed byAndrew Dominik,Killing them Softlycompeted for the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festivalbefore being launched commercially during the awards season of 2012. It was one of the first major projects to be blessed by the participation of cinematographerGreig Fraser, who went on to shootDune,The Batman, and the upcomingProject Hail Mary. The movie also featured a stacked supporting cast that includedScoot McNairy,Ben Mendelsohn,Richard Jenkins, and a trio of late greats:Sam Shepard,Ray Liotta, andJames Gandolfini.
However,Killing them Softlyis perhaps most remembered now for beingone of the 23 movies in history to have earned an F grade on the polling platform CinemaScore. This puts it in the same bracket as the infamousNicolas Cage-led horror remakeThe Wicker Man, the 2019 remake ofThe Grudge, andDarren Aronofsky’sMother!.Killing them Softlycurrently holds a 74% “certified fresh” score onRotten Tomatoes, although its audience rating is more in line with its CinemaScore grade, at 45%.
‘F1’ Earned an A CinemaScore
Meanwhile,F1opened with a bang over the weekend, grossing $55 million domestically and $144 million worldwide. Produced on abudget that has been reported to be as high as $300 million, the movie is directed byJoseph Kosinski, and is set in the high-stakes world of Formula One racing.F1holds an 83% score onRotten Tomatoes, withpraise going toKosinski’s direction, Pitt’s performance, and the thrilling racing sequences. It also earneda near-perfect 97% audience scoreon the aggregator website, and an A grade on CinemaScore. FeaturingDamson Idris,Javier BardemandKerry Condonin supporting roles, the movie is playing in theaters. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.
