A History of Violence poster

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Streaming data from JustWatch

A History of Violence

2005 · Movie · 96 min
B

MEANRANK

74/100

Averaged across 12 ratings · 955.9K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 29 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

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58–88 out of 100

Split

Lowest is Criticker on 58, highest is Rotten Tomatoes critics on 88. Critics average 85, everyone else 72.

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A gentle family man and beloved small-town diner owner commits a sudden and shockingly efficient act of violence to stop a threat to his customers. His newfound heroism attracts national media attention, which in turn draws the interest of ominous figures from Philadelphia who believe he is a former associate with a hidden past.

Details

Writer
Josh Olson
Based on
A History of Violence
Released
23 September 2005
Country
Germany, United States
Language
English
Runtime
96 min
Rated
R
Budget
$32.0M
Box office
$61.5M
Awards
36 wins, 64 nominations

This title elsewhere

Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen

Tom Stall / Joey Cusack

Maria Bello

Maria Bello

Edie Stall

Ed Harris

Ed Harris

Carl Fogarty

William Hurt

William Hurt

Richie Cusack

Ashton Holmes

Ashton Holmes

Jack Stall

Peter MacNeill

Peter MacNeill

Sheriff Sam Carney

Greg Bryk

Greg Bryk

Billy

Awards & nominations

See all 100 →

4 major awards won · 36 wins from 100 nominations across 49 ceremonies

Directors Guild of Canada Awards 2005 Outstanding Picture Editing – Feature Film Ronald Sanders Winner
Directors Guild of Canada Awards 2005 Outstanding Direction – Feature Film David Cronenberg Winner
Directors Guild of Canada Awards 2005 Outstanding Feature Film Winner
Directors Guild of Canada Awards 2005 Outstanding Sound Editing – Feature Film Alastair Gray and Michael O'Farrell Winner
Academy Awards 2005 Best Supporting Actor William Hurt Nominee
Academy Awards 2005 Best Adapted Screenplay Josh Olson Nominee
Cannes Film Festival 2005 Palme d'Or David Cronenberg Nominee
Critics' Choice Awards 2005 Best Supporting Actress Maria Bello Nominee
Show all 100 awards across 49 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.