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10/18/08
Jar City (2008)
94 %
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 36
Fresh: 34
Rotten:2
Average Rating: 7.4/10
Consensus: A sublimely directed thriller, Jar City combines murder mystery, family drama and ample bits of Icelandic culture into a fascinating cinematic experience.
Theatrical Release: Feb 29, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: An elderly man is found murdered in his basement flat. Inspector Erlendur and his crew don’t have much to go by in the investigation, but a photograph of a young girl’s grave gives them a lead. They discover that many years ago the victim... [More]
Reviews for Jar City
Unnerving and emotional, this police thriller has an unnerving breadth and depth, as a murder case opens a decades-old inquiry that brings all kinds of dark creepiness with it. It's like an Icelandic twist on Seven.
09/12/08
Kormákur, who made the highly original 101 Reykjavik, is clearly saying something pessimistic about his homeland and, as a film-maker, has the means to do so to some effect.
09/12/08
The burden of this Icelandic procedural thriller will put a chill in your bones, if the lugubrious, wind-whipped coastal setting hasn't done already.
09/12/08
A murder story in the grungy-misanthropic style of Kormákur’s 101 Reykjavik, but without the plaintive wit or probing compassion.
09/12/08
I’ll admit that I struggled to keep up with some of the more intricate twists and turns, but things come together for a shocking and memorable finale.
09/12/08
Refusing to spoonfeed its audience, this is a dark, convoluted thriller, tightly scripted and richly atmospheric.
09/12/08
Bleak surroundings and grim humour create a suitably sombre mood, but in the wake of juicy police procedurals like Dennis Lehane adaptations Mystic River and Gone Baby Gone, this is disappointingly straightforward stuff.
09/12/08
The disinterring of corpses makes this film almost too ghoulish for its own good, but Iceland's top director Baltasar Kormákur wraps it up in his distinctive frostbitten style.
09/12/08
Top Critic It’s a terrific piece of direction from Kormákur. Everything, from the look of the film, to the brilliantly unsettling use of food as a recurring motif, is judged perfectly.
09/12/08
Top Critic In short, this is a superbly made, thoroughly engaging thriller that exerts a powerful emotional grip and is well worth seeking out. Recommended
09/11/08
A chilling murder mystery which should do wonders for Iceland's film industry.
09/09/08
Top Critic A cold case in a cold place - Iceland's chilly legacy comes under investigation in this tragic noir.
09/03/08
Tremendously acted and shot with memorable confidence, Jar City deserves a much wider release than it's apparently going to get.
07/09/08
bazeis (ton skinotheti) se katigoria spanioy talentoy, kai toy syghoreis tin adynamia na brei kaskanter tis prokopis gia merikes apo tis apaititikes skines
06/29/08
Terrifically acted, expertly shot and painstakingly paced, Jar City investigates deeper, darker themes. And Erlendur is a reminder that homicide detectives don't save lives so much as exhume the meanings of violence.
06/06/08
Director Baltasar Kormakur interweaves taciturn Scandinavian humor and morbid violence for a unique combination of flavors.
04/25/08
Jar City is an absorbing mystery connecting different generations and set in the desolate landscapes of Iceland.
04/03/08
Latest News for Jar City
September 12, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Pineapple Express is smoking hot; If in Eden Lake, DON’T Hug a Hoodie
This week we have the stoner action-comedy The Pineapple Express, with Seth Rogen, James Franco and new boy on the comedy block Danny McBride, plus My Little Eye writer James... More...
September 09, 2007:
IFC Heads For Jar City
For those of you out there who only know about Iceland because of Bjork, Sigur Ros, and the fact that its capital city's name is difficult to pronounce, add Jar City to your... More...
July 21, 2007:
trailer and preview 
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