The Killers (1946)
Kernel Score: 81% · 429 TMDB ratings
Genres: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Released: 1946-08-30
Runtime: 103 minutes
Where to watch The Killers
- Stream: TCM
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube
US availability, updated 2026-11-12.
Overview
Two hit men walk into a diner asking for a man called "the Swede". When the killers find the Swede, he's expecting them and doesn't put up a fight. Since the Swede had a life insurance policy, an investigator, on a hunch, decides to look into the murder. As the Swede's past is laid bare, it comes to light that he was in love with a beautiful woman who may have lured him into pulling off a bank robbery overseen by another man.
The Killers parents' guide: ages 11+
Parents need to know that The Killers is a 1946 film noir about hitmen tracking down a former boxer with a criminal past.
- Violence & scariness: Moderate — Central plot involves contract killers, a murder, a heist, and an attempted robbery; gunplay is implied throughout.
- Sex, romance & nudity: A little — A femme fatale love affair drives the plot, but content is tame by classic film noir standards with no explicit content.
- Drinking, drugs & smoking: A little — Set in bars and diners typical of 1940s noir, with incidental drinking likely present.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like The Killers
If you liked The Killers, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Out of the Past (1947) — 85%
- The Getaway (1972) — 79%
- The Last Stop in Yuma County (2024) — 77%
- Pulp Fiction (1994) — 93%
- Double Indemnity (1944) — 90%
- The Asphalt Jungle (1950) — 84%
- The Killing (1956) — 86%
- Sexy Beast (2001) — 78%
Director
Robert Siodmak
Cast
- Edmond O'Brien as Jim Reardon
- Burt Lancaster as 'Swede' Andersen
- Ava Gardner as Kitty Collins
- Albert Dekker as Big Jim Colfax
- Sam Levene as Lt. Sam Lubinsky
- Vince Barnett as Charleston
- Virginia Christine as Lilly Harmon Lubinsky
- Jack Lambert as 'Dum-Dum' Clarke
- Charles D. Brown as Packy Robinson - Ole's Manager
- Donald MacBride as R.S. Kenyon
The Killers FAQ
Is The Killers good?
The Killers has an 81% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels, our own critic-informed editorial score.
Where can I watch The Killers?
In the US you can stream The Killers on TCM and rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play and YouTube.
Is The Killers OK for kids?
Fresh Kernels suggests ages 11+. Parents need to know that The Killers is a 1946 film noir about hitmen tracking down a former boxer with a criminal past.
What movies are like The Killers?
If you liked The Killers, try Out of the Past, The Getaway, The Last Stop in Yuma County and Pulp Fiction.