Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)
59%RT Audience Score: 62%
Awards & Nominations: 2 nominations
Romeo is Bleeding is a film that attempts to be a neo-noir thriller, but instead comes across as a self-aware parody of the genre. The film’s over-the-top plot and excessive use of cliches make it difficult to take seriously, and the stylishness of the film only serves to distract from its lack of substance. However, Lena Olin’s performance is a standout, and her portrayal of a femme fatale is both captivating and terrifying. Overall, Romeo is Bleeding is a messy and chaotic film that is best enjoyed with a drinking game and a sense of humor.
Romeo is Bleeding is like a rollercoaster ride that starts off slow and then suddenly takes off at breakneck speed. It’s a wild and crazy ride that’s not for the faint of heart. The film is a mishmash of genres, with elements of film noir, action, and camp all thrown in together. Some critics have called it a mess, but I call it a masterpiece of madness. Lena Olin steals the show with her over-the-top performance, and the plot twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you’re looking for a fun and crazy ride, then Romeo is Bleeding is the film for you!
Production Company(ies)
Columbia Pictures,
Distributor
Gramercy Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Myrtle Avenue & Bleecker Street, Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong violence, language and sexuality
Year of Release
1994
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 48m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 4, 1994 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 19, 2002
Genre(s)
Crime/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Gary Oldman, Lena Olin, Annabella Sciorra, Juliette Lewis, Roy Scheider, David Proval, directed by Peter Medak, written by Hilary Henkin, Crime, Drama, R, box office performance, budget, reviewed by John Powers, Owen Gleiberman, Phillipa Bloom, Todd McCarthy, Jonathan Rosenbaum, David Hunter, Eddie Harrison, Christian Jones, Nicholas Bell, Tom Meek, Gary Oldman as Jack Grimaldi, Lena Olin as Mona Demarkov, Annabella Sciorra as Natalie Grimaldi, Juliette Lewis as Sheri, Roy Scheider as Don Falcone, Hilary Henkin as writer, Paul Webster as producer, MPAA rating, cat and mouse game, Russian assassin, corrupt cop, Italian mob boss, mistress, cheating, tips to the Mafia, Dolby, Surround, Stereo, Gramercy Pictures
Worldwide gross: $3,275,585
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,626,919
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,090
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 722,674
US/Canada gross: $3,275,585
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $6,626,919
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,725
US/Canada opening weekend: $1,225,737
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $2,479,820
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,182
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $11,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $23,265,942
Production budget ranking: 1,286
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $12,528,710
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$29,167,732
ROI to date (est.): -81%
ROI ranking: 1,894
Lena Olin – Mona Demarkov
Annabella Sciorra – Natalie Grimaldi
Juliette Lewis – Sheri
Roy Scheider – Don Falcone
David Proval – Scully
Director(s)
Peter Medak
Writer(s)
Hilary Henkin
Producer(s)
Hilary Henkin, Paul Webster
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (30)
It’s noir lite.
December 31, 2019
John Powers
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: C+
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
[It’s] never content with one cliche when it can shovel on ten.
April 9, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
Phillipa Bloom
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The far-fetched plotting eventually goes so far over the top that pic flirts with inventing a new genre of film noir camp.
April 9, 2008
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
It would be facile to say it substitutes style for content; actually, it substitutes stylishness for style.
April 9, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Stylistic but ultimately unsatisfying.
April 9, 2008
David Hunter
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
…Medak’s film is something more than a cop thriller or action movie, but a meditation on not knowing that fate has caught up with you until it’s too late…
March 10, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Eddie Harrison
film-authority.com
The film comes across as being an ironic pastiche rather than legitimate neo-noir.
March 9, 2021 | Rating: 2/5
Christian Jones
Starburst
It’s exactly the type of dark hearted nightmare all but extinct in today’s landscape of commercialized narratives.
September 30, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com
The result is a total delectable mess that likely has a drinking game embedded in it somewhere.
May 29, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4
Tom Meek
Cambridge Day
Lena Olin delivers a bravura performance that overwhelms everything else in the picture, much like a tsunami laying way to a seaside shack.
July 3, 2016 | Rating: 2/4
Matt Brunson
Creative Loafing
It’s a senseless, tasteless and demented postmodern noir that has about as much class as a gimpy $10 Times Square hooker.
May 11, 2008 | Rating: C
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews…
Plot
Detective Jack Grimaldi (Gary Oldman) takes us through his shattered life after encountering the most deadly (and deceptive) criminal he has ever had to deal with. It doesn’t help that Grimladi is playing both sides against the middle. When he encounters Demarkov (Lena Olin) he thinks he can play her as he has all the other women in his life…including his wife. But Demarkov knows Jack better than he knows himself. She plays him mercilessly, all the while threatening to kill him when she tires of the game.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Lena Olin delivers a bravura performance that overwhelms everything else in the picture, much like a tsunami laying way to a seaside shack.
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