Natural Born Killers is a 1994 American crime film directed by Oliver Stone and starring Woody Harrelson, Juliette Lewis, Robert Downey Jr., and Tommy Lee Jones. The film tells the story of Mickey and Mallory, two victims of traumatized childhoods who become lovers and psychopathic serial killers, irresponsibly glorified by the mass media. It was filmed and edited in a frenzied and psychedelic style, featuring both color and black-and-white cinematography, animation (directed by Mike Smith), and other unusual color schemes and visual compositions.
Plot
Natural Born Killers, a 1994 film directed by Oliver Stone, isn't your run-of-the-mill crime flick. It dives into the twisted world of Mickey Knox (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Wilson (Juliette Lewis), two deeply disturbed individuals scarred by nightmarish childhoods. They find a warped sense of connection in their shared darkness and embark on a violent road trip, leaving a bloody trail of victims in their wake. Their gruesome acts propel them to national infamy.
Here's where the film takes a sharp turn. The media, particularly the ambitious talk show host Wayne Gale (Robert Downey Jr.), seizes the opportunity to exploit the situation. Mickey and Mallory's crimes are no longer reported as horrific acts, but are twisted into sensationalized entertainment. Grainy footage of their murders becomes prime time viewing, and the couple themselves are transformed from monstrous killers into pop culture anti-heroes.
Stone utilizes a frenetic visual style to blur the lines between reality and media portrayal. The audience is bombarded with fast cuts, shifting film stocks, and even animation, creating a disorienting effect that mirrors the warped lens through which the media presents violence. It becomes difficult to discern the actual events from the media's exploitative narrative.
Adding another layer to the madness is detective Jack Scagnetti (Tom Sizemore), tasked with apprehending Mickey and Mallory. While seemingly determined to bring them to justice, there's an undercurrent of fascination with the killers that permeates his pursuit. This ambiguity regarding the motives of those hunting the killers further emphasizes the film's central critique: our society's morbid fascination with violence and the ease with which the line between information and entertainment can be blurred.
Natural Born Killers builds to a chaotic climax that throws everything into question. The violence escalates to new heights, leaving the audience to grapple with the consequences of glorifying criminals and the moral responsibility of the media. It's a dark satire that serves as a scathing indictment of our culture's obsession with crime and the danger of turning violence into a spectacle.
The film's editing process lasted approximately 11 months, resulting in a final cut with almost 3,000 cuts, which is significantly higher than the average film's 600-700 cuts. Natural Born Killers received mixed reviews upon its release, with some praising its hardcore satire on sensationalist media and its addressing of the moral decay of society, while others found its violence and artsy nonsense overwhelming.
The film is known for its highly stylized and brutal nature, which may be off-putting to some viewers. It features graphic violence, murder, beatings, and torture, mostly perpetrated by the main characters on their unsuspecting victims. Sex is also shown and discussed, often in a non-loving form, and the film includes scenes of unwanted sexual advances and explicit sexual situations. parents should be aware that an unrated director's cut is available on DVD, which includes even more graphic violence and sexual content than the originally released version.
Trailer
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Cast
Main Cast:
- Woody Harrelson as Mickey Knox
- Juliette Lewis as Mallory Knox
- Robert Downey Jr. as Wayne Gale
- Tommy Lee Jones as Dwight McClusky
- Tom Sizemore as Jack Scagnetti
Supporting Cast:
- Rodney Grant as Sonny
- Leland Orser as Darrell
- Sean Penn as Rodney
- Arliss Howard as Warden Earl Roth
- Peter Greene as Tex Sax
- Evan Handler as Deputy Winston
- Richard Lineback as Detective Jack Scagnetti Sr.
- Russell Means as Chief Redfeather
- O-Lan Jones as Deputy White Dove
- Ed White as Warden Bill Wexler
- Maria Pitillo as Susan
- Sean Stone as David
- Jerry Gardner as Colonel Kassar
- Leon Skyhorse Thomas as Cheyenne
- Dale Dye as Sheriff Caldwell
- Evan Handler as Assistant D.A. Feldman
- Jamie Harrold as Reporter #1
- Saemi Nakamura as Reporter #2
- Katharine McQueen as Reporter #3
- Natalie Karp as Reporter #4
- Balthazar Getty as Boy in Gas Station
- Sally Jackson as Cashier
- Brian Barker as Red
- Red West as Cop #1
- Jeremiah Bitsui as Native American Driver
- Steve Wilson as Prison Guard
- John Enos as Prison Guard
- Mark Harmon as Mickey's Father (voice, uncredited)
- Boris Karloff as Voice on Radio (uncredited)
- Robert Marshall as Police Helicopter Pilot (uncredited)
- David Pasquesi as Prison Guard #1 (uncredited)
- Robyn Reede as Nurse (uncredited)
- Jack Rooney as Police Helicopter Pilot #2 (uncredited)
- Keith Schrader as Guard #1 (uncredited)
Director: Oliver Stone
Writer: Quentin Tarantino, David Veloz, Richard Rutowski, Oliver Stone
Box Office Gross: $50,283,563
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 26, 1994
Release Date (Streaming): May 8, 2015
