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Badlands

1973·Movie
1h 34min

Where to watch

Links go to licensed services. Data from JustWatch and TMDB.

Badlands fingerprint

High energy, immersive world, light on feelings.

Energy

Violent and tense

Builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.

  • Violence8
  • Tension7
  • Adrenaline6

Heart

Melancholic and moving

Much of it is about growing up.

  • Melancholy8
  • Pathos7
  • Coming of Age7

Humor

Some dark humor

Not a comedy at heart.

  • Dark Humor6
  • Satire & Parody3
  • Wit & Wordplay2

World

Crime, society, and everyday modern life

Lived-in and easy to get lost in.

  • World Immersion8
  • Dialogue Centrality8
  • Ambiguity7

Craft

Standout direction, performances, and characters

  • Direction8
  • Acting8
  • Character Depth8

Style

Standout cinematography

  • Cinematography8
  • Editing7
  • Visual Stylization7

Who it's for

AdultsFriends NightSolo WatchThought-Provoking

Skip it if

You need an uplifting moodGraphic violence bothers you

Find more like it

Based on the GoodWatch fingerprint: our scores for 70+ attributes of every movie. Select a row to see all of them.

About

In 1959 a lot of people were killing time. Kit and Holly were killing people.

An impressionable teenage girl from a dead-end town and her older greaser boyfriend embark on a killing spree in the South Dakota badlands.
True CrimeRoad MoviePsychological Thriller1970s AmericaBleakExistentialAtmosphericMorally AmbiguousDisturbing

Crew

Sequels and Prequels

No sequels or prequels available

Media

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Questions about Badlands

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Badlands legally?

Badlands is included with a subscription to TCM in the United States. You can watch it free with ads on YouTube Free and Fawesome. You can also rent or buy it from Apple TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, and Google Play Movies. All links in Where to Watch go to these licensed services.

Is Badlands worth watching?

87
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Yes. It's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 88/100 (IMDb 7.7, Rotten Tomatoes 97%, and Metacritic 94). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.

What is Badlands rated?

Violence

Content advisories: violence.

How long is Badlands?

1 h 34 min

Badlands runs 1 h 34 min.

Is Badlands based on a true story?

Yes. It's based on real events or a real person's life.

Do critics and audiences agree on Badlands?

Critics96
Audiences82

Not quite. Critics rate Badlands higher (96) than audiences (82). It may be more rewarding than it is crowd-pleasing.

What language is Badlands in?

EnglishFrench

It was made in English, with some French. Produced in United States.

In how many countries can I watch Badlands?

21ATAUBECACHDEDKESFIFRGBGGIEIN+7

GoodWatch finds legal streaming, rental, or purchase options for Badlands in 21 countries. Pick any of them in Where to Watch to see the local services.

What tropes does Badlands use?

Troubled, but CuteGreaser DelinquentsThe Dying WalkPrefers Going BarefootStar-Crossed LoversRoad Trip PlotThe Foreign SubtitleRevenge by ProxyThe SociopathRoman à ClefKarma HoudiniBlade-of-Grass Cutand 16 more

TV Tropes lists 28 storytelling tropes for Badlands, including Troubled, but Cute, Greaser Delinquents, The Dying Walk.