Dead for a Dollar

Play trailer

Dead for a Dollar

R

2022

1h 45m

Western

Action

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

53%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

35%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

When it appears a young woman has run off with an army deserter, a hired gun, Max, is contracted to go after them and bring her home. Finding out that she fled from an abusive husband, Max is faced with the choice to finish the job or look the other way while ruthless assassins and his longtime rival, Joe, close in.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

There are certainly worse Westerns, but with Walter Hill behind the camera and a killer cast reporting for duty, Dead for a Dollar should have higher entertainment value.

Read Critics Reviews

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Oct 2, 2022

3/4

There is nothing flashy about Walter Hill’s latest western Dead for a Dollar.

Go to Full Review

Mark Keizer

AV Club

Sep 30, 2022

C

Rarely has so little tension been generated by a hero with so many bad guys lining up to kill him.

Go to Full Review

Bilge Ebiri

New York Magazine/Vulture

Sep 30, 2022

Hill turns... shortcomings into virtues. The picture’s surface austerity and simplicity have a crystallizing effect, drawing our attention to the coldhearted, transactional nature of this world.

Go to Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Jan 28, 2026

4/10

I find it a cheap, conventional, incredibly boring western, lacking in excitement and riding at an erratic pace with the outlaws played by Christoph Waltz and Willem Dafoe. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Sep 29, 2023

7/10

Dead for a Dollar threads the needle between traditional Westerns of Boetticher’s ilk and the more revisionist sensibilities that Hill brought to the genre in the run of them he made in the ‘90s.

Go to Full Review

Nicholas Bell

Fish Jelly Films (YouTube)

Jul 27, 2023

2.5/5

Sans any significant subtexts to enhance the resilience of its various characters, there’s a sense of going through the motions despite some stand out moments from a sterling Dafoe.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

annette

Oct 5, 2022

finally, a good movie with a plotline. the director focused on the story and the characters. you actually cared about the good guys. they didnt waste a ton of time like other movies on CGI and being flashy. back to basics and telling a good story. and they had a bullwhip fighting scene..... cant recall the last time I saw that in a movie. too bad this one is in limited release. I am REALLY glad I saw the trailer on YouTube and decided to go see it on my movie night. HIGHLY suggest you sit and watch this one, especially if you enjoy and miss Unforgiven and movies like that.

See more

Dennis S

Oct 4, 2022

Old style Western, good story and good acting.

See more

Jerry W

@RT49475087 Aug 2, 2026

Despite what others say, I really enjoyed this "slow moving" movie.

See more

Deepika V

@deepikav12 Nov 25, 2025

Watched this movie for Waltz. That's it. Put him in a western movie, or any genre movie, and I'm in. Liked his character in it. The story could have been stronger, more depth into the characters. Wilem Dafoe's character, who was supposed be the bad guy, wasn't so ruthless after all. Funny to see a all star cast in a low budget movie. But it worked.

See more

Kim P

@RT98672688 Nov 15, 2025

This was directed by Walter Hill? For REAL???? horribly edited at the very least, possibly due to the director, the cast does not even come close to rescuing this piece of pony poop.

See more

Damian G

@RT59207826 Apr 23, 2025

A solid western that builds up to an excellent conclusion. There is a lot to like about this movie - strong characters, a good plot, it's paced well for its length and a thrilling final quarter. Well worth the time spent watching it.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Walter Hill

Director

Christoph Waltz

Max Borlund

Rachel Brosnahan

Actor

Willem Dafoe

Joe Cribbens

Benjamin Bratt

Actor

Warren Burke

Actor

Hell or High Water

97%

89%

Hell or High Water

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Hell or High Water

Naked Singularity

28%

29%

Naked Singularity

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Naked Singularity

The Killer

85%

90%

The Killer

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Killer

Never Grow Old

86%

61%

Never Grow Old

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Never Grow Old

The Good Neighbor

25%

67%

The Good Neighbor

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Good Neighbor

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

When it appears a young woman has run off with an army deserter, a hired gun, Max, is contracted to go after them and bring her home. Finding out that she fled from an abusive husband, Max is faced with the choice to finish the job or look the other way while ruthless assassins and his longtime rival, Joe, close in.

Director: Walter Hill
Producer: Kirk D'Amico, Neil Dunn, Carolyn McMaster, Berry Meyerowitz, Jeff Sackman, Jeremy Wall
Screenwriter: Matt Harris, Walter Hill
Distributor: Quiver Distribution
Production Co: Chaos, a Film Company, Polaris Pictures
Rating: R (Language|Graphic Nudity|Some Sexual Content|Violence)
Genre: Western, Action, Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 28, 2022, Limited
Runtime: 1h 45m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings