Customer Reviews

Killing Emmett Young [VHS]

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I picked up this movie in the bargain bin and decided to give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did! This story is tense and strong. Both Scott Wolf and Tim Roth play good guys, it's just that they're motivated by different things. Roth sees Wolf's character as "the man he could have been" and takes the hit job as a personal vendetta. Then, as time progresses and he takes a new mind set, his outlook changes and you find yourself rooting more for his character than Wolf. But there are no bad actors in this film. I was never a Party of Five fan, but Wolf's acting here is nothing short of amazing! The story ends a little too abruptly (and with a major plot thread left out there), but I was still very satisfied with the movie when it was over. By the way, it gets its rating mostly from the language (and there's not really much of that) and the subject matter of the serial killer. If they'd just toned down a couple of the words, this could easily have passed for PG-13. A strong, compelling story that will hold you until the film is over. Recommended.

Emmett Young (Scott Wolf), a homicide detective, has only a short time left to live. He meets a government agent (Gabriel Bryne) who convinces him that the best way to die is to put out a hit on himself. Emmett agrees and hires a hit man (Tim Roth) to kill him sometime in the near future, but he's determined to solve his case before his time is up. This movie is worth watching for Scott Wolf, Gabriel Bryne, and Tim Roth. Wolf is charming and believable (watch how much of his acting is what's behind his eyes) He's instantly sympathetic and likeable. Tim Roth always has a restrained intensity ... even when he does little I believe his character is capable of anything. The payoff is always the twist, many times, and in this case, its in his unexpected and shocking vulnerability. I wish the movie would have given more to the abilities of the actors. The plot is predictable, ends abruptly, and although adequate, not intriguing in itself. The acting is what makes this film worth watching. If you are a fan of any of the leads it is worth seeing what they do with their characters.

This movie is in lots of bargain bins, and regretfully so. Filmed in 2002, KILLING EMMETT YOUNG is a very unusual, well acted little thriller with excellent performances. Scott Wolf (Party of Five) delivers a solid and convincing performance as the title character, who after being diagnosed with a painful terminal illness, decides to hire a hit man to kill him to spare him the agonizing death. Gabriel Byrne plays the sly ex-FBI agent who suggests this to Young, and Tim Roth is excellent as the ex-cop who becomes Emmett's hit man. Khandi Alexander plays Young's partner, a seemingly cold fish who has a heart buried under a tough exterior. The movie has a serial killer subplot that is important to Young to solve before his demise. The plot shifts however when the lab results reveal something quite different than a terminal diagnosis.
Director Keith Snyder keeps the pace interesting and you're wondering just who the serial killer might be.
The ending is a little anti-climactic and the serial killer storyline's resolution is a little disappointing, but this movie is a very good one, and deserved more exposure.

This was originally called "Emmett's Mark" and I saw it at the world premiere at the Philadelphia World Film Festival where it played to sell out crowds. It's a gritty cop drama about a police officer who belives he is dying (a mature and interesting Scott Wolf) and hires someone to kill him before his painful disease takes over his life. Twists abound at every corner and this film, shot in Philadelphia, makes excellent use of the city and has a gritty, realistic feel. The ending is a bit abrupt but the film is well acted (especially by Scott Wolf and by Tim Roth in a tricky role) and well made. Kudos to director Keith Snyder, he should be proud of his debut film. I only wish it got the theatrical release that it deserved. Highly recommended !!!!! 4.5 stars

I expected this film to feel a little hackneyed. After reading about the story, I thought "just a remake of D.O.A. with a few twists." Well it is, and then it isn't.
The pacing is fast and tight, and the plot will surprise you.
No surprise in that Tim Roth and Gabriel Byrne deliver superbly, but who knew that Khandi Alexander (from TV's News Radio) and Scott Wolf (Bailey from Party of Five) could more than hold their own in such expert company.
Scott Wolf is clearly the lynch pin in this production, and his understated performance never rings false. I've seen him on stage and knew him to be a very talented actor, but I don't think anything else he's done on TV or screen prepares you for the sure-handedness of this performance.
In the end, some aspects of the story just don't add up, but four stars for great suspense, a stylish look, more than a few surprises, above average visuals, and some wonderful acting from a great ensemble.

Tried this Unbox download because it was cheap. Came away deeply impressed with the quality of performances from the entire cast. The directing was superb. Simply great.

I'd seen the last quarter of this on HBO one night, and found it compelling. I'd never been able to locate it until by chance I happened across it in a 3.99 sale bin at a record shop. It's well worth the time, and is a lot different from the average run of the mill slasher flick starring Ashley Judd.

The casting is especially solid, especially Scott Wolf, who pulls off a lot of emotions and dark thought with his eyes. The opening scene where he learns his diagnosis is by far one of the most memorable scenes I have seen in a film within the last few years. Tim Roth turns in another one of his excellent villain roles, playing with a ruthless iciness that is both unnerving and oddly fascinating. Gabriel Byrne, of course, can do no wrong, and here continues to show his incredible range with his time on screen.

The plot line is interesting, feels vastly fresh in comparison to a lot of the thrillers out there, and never kept my attention from wavering.

The only question one might ask at the end of this: Why didn't this make the top ten list upon release?

Another shamefully underlooked little treasure, well worth the time.

I saw this movie in 2004, and have never forgotten the affect it had on me. Just imagine a mistake being made in a lab, and being told you have a week to live. Then after hiring someone to put a contract on your life, and not wanting to know any details. Emmett destroys the number of the contact, with the only stipulation being that they give him until the 27th of the month. Then the night before, Emmett gets a call that there was an error in one digit on the blood results in the lab. He has to handle the case he is working on as a detective, in addition to solving a murder before it happens--HIS OWN!

I have been viewing Gabriel Byrne's entire filmography as I recently became intrigued by his range. I had not heard of this title, but got it and was pleasantly surprised. Now I wonder why I hadn't heard of it.
Scott Wolf is amazing. Byrne is again able to slide into a role with seemingly no effort. He is convincing in anything he does. Tim Roth is pitiable but scary. What makes some of these films so great is their subtlety--their lack of fanfare, their absence of over-acting. The actors do such a good job you do not know they are acting. The lady who is a forensic pathologist on CSI Miami also does an admirable job as a lady cop.

Oh dear. It was so obvious from the outset that this film wanted to be Seven and the director wanted to be David Fincher. Look at the similarities in the lighting, Scott Wolf's attire(Brad Pitt in Seven), the mid-movie chase(same as Seven). Everything in fact. Need I say more. If I've got you thinking, watch these movies back to back. Enough said. 0.5 out of ten!!!