The Killing of Two Lovers (2021)
81%RT Audience Score: 67%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 12 nominations
The Killing of Two Lovers unites deft direction and an artfully assembled cast in service of a powerful story.
The Killing of Two Lovers” is a film that will leave you breathless, but not because it’s action-packed. No, this movie is a slow burn that builds tension with every passing moment. The sound design and visuals are top-notch, and the performances are so natural that you’ll forget you’re watching a movie. It’s a heartbreaking portrayal of a toxic marriage, and it’s not for everyone, but if you’re willing to give it a chance, you won’t be disappointed. Just make sure you have a box of tissues nearby.
Production Company(ies)
Bandai Visual Company, Cinequanon Eisei Gekijo
Distributor
NEON
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Kanosh, Utah, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
2021
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1
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Runtime:1h 25m
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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): May 14, 2021 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 14, 2021
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
The Killing of Two Lovers, drama, 1h 25m, R, directed by Robert Machoian, written by Robert Machoian, produced by Melia Leidenthal and Scott Christopherson, starring Clayne Crawford, Sepideh Moafi, Chris Coy, Avery Pizzuto, genre, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Mark Kermode, Simran Hans, Ariel Klinghoffer, Tim Robey, Peter Bradshaw, Max Maller, Susannah Gruder, Brian Eggert, Brett McCracken, Chris Barsanti, Josh Larsen, MPAA rating, separation, family, toxic marriage, relationship, tension, emotion, domestic strife, wide angles, long takes, Hollywood Reporter, powerful story
Worldwide gross: $113,649
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $123,605
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,003
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 13,479
US/Canada gross: $71,162
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $77,396
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,695
US/Canada opening weekend: $25,378
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $27,601
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,392
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
Sepideh Moafi – Nikki
Chris Coy – Derek
Avery Pizzuto – Jess
Arri Graham – Ezra Graham
Robert Machoian – Director/Writer
Melia Leidenthal – Producer
Scott Christopherson – Producer
Director(s)
Robert Machoian
Writer(s)
Robert Machoian
Producer(s)
Melia Leidenthal, Scott Christopherson
Film Festivals
Sundance
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 12 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (103) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (96) | Rotten (7)
Not a film for everybody, but if you start it you’ll absolutely watch through the end. Quite literally breathtaking.
June 23, 2021
Mark Kermode
Kermode & Mayo’s Film Review
TOP CRITIC
[A] lean, stylish and frequently heartbreaking drama…
June 6, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Simran Hans
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Airtight sound design, rich visuals and natural performances tell a poignant story.
June 4, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
Ariel Klinghoffer
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Writer-director Robert Machoian has fashioned a wintry, clenched tale of domestic strife here, confining all but one sequence inside the 4:3 aspect ratio.
June 4, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
This is a compelling portrait of a toxic marriage.
June 2, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
From such simple beginnings through to all the complexities life can throw at a family, then back to the primal struggles anew, director Robert Machoian’s first solo feature achieves technically what it sets about to portray emotionally, a rare feat.
May 21, 2021
Max Maller
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Its a film built on moments of tension and release more than plot and dialogue, a good representation of how muddled things can get, and how useless words can be, when a relationship is in jeopardy.
February 28, 2022 | Rating: B-
Susannah Gruder
Reverse Shot
Rather than descending into a genre exercise inflected with indie aesthetics, The Killing of Two Lovers weighs the emotional strain and vulnerability of marriage.
February 12, 2022 | Rating: 3/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
[Displays] both the dangers of trifling with a sacred covenant, and the valor of fighting to restore it.
January 26, 2022
Brett McCracken
The Gospel Coalition
Robert Machoian’s terse filming style is given to wide angles and dramatically long takes that ratchet up the tension with the technical skill of a bravura action filmmaker.
January 3, 2022
Chris Barsanti
PopMatters
…we don’t know what the distressed main character is capable of-and he doesn’t either.
December 30, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
The devil isn’t in the detail here – the minutiae is the entire movie, and what an unflinching, evocative and heady vision of yearning and emotionally churning it is.
September 19, 2021
Sarah Ward
Concrete Playground…
Plot
The Killing of Two Lovers follows David as he struggles to keep his family together during a separation from his wife, Nikki, who has started seeing someone else, leading to a powerful and heartbreaking exploration of a toxic marriage.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Nothing to add here about The Killing of Two Lovers.
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