The Killers
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.
Critics Sentiment
Al and Max terrorize the diner waiting for Swede
Insurance investigator Riordan starts piecing together Swede's story
The film drops significantly from its acclaimed opening diner sequence to the more conventional insurance investigation that follows.
The Killers achieves near-perfection in its legendary opening sequence but struggles to maintain that intensity throughout. While the flashback structure and performances, particularly Gardner's femme fatale, earn consistent praise, most reviewers acknowledge the film never quite recaptures the magic of those first twenty minutes. Despite this unevenness, the overall execution remains highly regarded as quintessential film noir.
Full cast
Showing 20 of 64
Edmond O'Brien
Jim Reardon
Burt Lancaster
'Swede' Andersen
Ava Gardner
Kitty Collins
Albert Dekker
Big Jim Colfax
Sam Levene
Lt. Sam Lubinsky
Vince Barnett
Charleston
Virginia Christine
Lilly Harmon Lubinsky
Jack Lambert
'Dum-Dum' Clarke
Charles D. Brown
Packy Robinson - Ole's Manager
Donald MacBride
R.S. Kenyon
Charles McGraw
Al
William Conrad
Max
Jeff Corey
Blinky Franklin (uncredited)
Gino Corrado
Restaurant Chef (uncredited)
Frank McLure
Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Howard Freeman
Brentwood Police Chief (uncredited)
Charles Middleton
Farmer (uncredited)
Queenie Smith
Mary Ellen 'Queenie' Daugherty (uncredited)
Jack Cheatham
Police Driver (uncredited)
William Ruhl
Fran (uncredited)
Crew
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