Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2018)
89%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: 20 wins & 26 nominations
Subversive, gorgeously shot, and suitably visceral, Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts injects timely feminist themes into a neo-western grindhouse framework
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts” is like a feminist Western that’s not afraid to get its hands dirty. It’s a refreshing take on the genre that’s both nuanced and entertaining. The film’s direction and cinematography are top-notch, and the story is both captivating and emotionally stirring. It’s a damn fine time at the movies, and a must-watch for anyone who loves a good revenge flick with a feminist twist. So grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride!
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Icarus Films
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Sumba Island, Indonesia
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2017
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 35m
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Language(s):Indonesian
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Country of origin:Indonesia
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 22, 2018 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 16, 2018
Genre(s)
Drama/Western
Keyword(s)
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts, Drama, Western, 1h 35m, directed by Mouly Surya, written by Rama Adi, Garin Nugroho, Mouly Surya, produced by Rama Adi, Fauzan Zidni, starring Marsha Timothy, Egy Fedly, Dea Panendra, Yoga Pratama, Haydar Salishz, reviewed by Gary Goldstein, Peter Howell, Manohla Dargis, Alan Scherstuhl, Clayton Dillard, Harris Dang, Panos Kotzathanasis, Matthew Sorrento, Matthew Roe, Rory Steabler, feminist themes, neo-western grindhouse, rape-revenge, Indonesian, box office gross $9.9K, Icarus Films, MPAA rating, empowerment, redemption, cattle theft, murder, ghost, Sergio Leone, Yunus Pasolang, female protagonist, violence, schlocky fun, artful, meaningful, entertaining
Worldwide gross: $26,331
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $31,761
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,105
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 3,464
US/Canada gross: $17,788
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $21,457
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,798
US/Canada opening weekend: $3,296
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $3,976
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,816
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Egy Fedly – Markus
Dea Panendra – Novi
Yoga Pratama – Franz
Haydar Salishz – Niko
Mouly Surya – Director
Director(s)
Mouly Surya
Writer(s)
Rama Adi, Garin Nugroho, Mouly Surya
Producer(s)
Rama Adi, Fauzan Zidni
Film Festivals
Cannes, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
20 wins & 26 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (1)
To its credit, the film eschews excess gore and mayhem, largely making its points in more subtly incisive ways.
July 5, 2018
Gary Goldstein
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts recalls the oaters of Sergio Leone and his brethren, all right, but it upends the usual male concerns for some serious and satisfying feminist payback.
June 28, 2018 | Rating: 3.5/4
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
It’s one of those features from a distant part of the globe that seems like it may have been created primarily for Western art houses and festivals, where its exemplary direction and feminist theme are indeed likely to win Surya new fans.
June 24, 2018 | Rating: 3/4
Godfrey Cheshire
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
Working with the cinematographer Yunus Pasolang, Ms. Surya gives “Marlina” a stark, steady, captivating look that keeps you largely engaged even when the story and your attention drift.
June 21, 2018
Manohla Dargis
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
A film of uneasy grandeur, at once offhand and gently mythic…
June 19, 2018
Alan Scherstuhl
Village Voice
TOP CRITIC
The film is enlivened by an acute grasp of the impossibilities that abused Indonesian women face in a society predicated on their continued physical and emotional subjugation to men.
June 18, 2018 | Rating: 2.5/4
Clayton Dillard
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts is a brilliant female-driven arthouse/grindhouse rape-revenge Western that manages to endear, repulse, emotionally stir, mesmerize and propel in the best of ways.
September 23, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Harris Dang
Their Own League
“Marlina” is a film with very few faults, that manages to present a completely different take on the western, through an artful, meaningful and quite entertaining approach.
October 27, 2019
Panos Kotzathanasis
Asian Movie Pulse
“The film stands out in its treatment an active female protagonist not immediately supplanting male power, but slowly struggling to assume it.”
May 29, 2019 | Rating: 10/10
Matthew Sorrento
Film International
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts is simple at a glance, nuanced under scrutiny, and is a damn fine time at the movies.
March 8, 2019 | Rating: 9/10
Matthew Roe
Film Threat
Not quite a Western or a revenge flick. Where those genres indulge in violence for a bit of schlocky fun, Marlina is a lot more ponderous, though it is hard to tell whether it takes itself seriously.
February 14, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Rory Steabler
One Room With A View
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts is a brilliant female-driven arthouse/grindhouse rape-revenge Western that manages to endear, repulse, emotionally stir, mesmerize and propel in the best of ways.
January 18, 2019 | Rating: 4.5/5
Harris Dang
easternKicks.com…
Plot
After being raped and robbed, a young widow fights back and kills several of her attackers, embarking on a journey of redemption and empowerment, but the ghost of one of the men she killed returns to haunt her in Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Marsha Timothy plays the titular character Marlina in the film.
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