Winter Kills

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Winter Kills

R

1979

1h 37m

Comedy

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

88%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

52%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Inspired by the conspiracy theories surrounding John F. Kennedy's assassination, this comic thriller follows Nick Kegan (Jeff Bridges), the younger brother of a U.S. president killed 19 years earlier. After finding a man claiming to be his brother's second assassin, Nick begins an intricate investigation into the secrets behind the murder. But Nick runs into trouble when his controlling father (John Huston) tries to keep him from uncovering the truth.

Critics Consensus

A singularly strange roman à clef rich with paranoia and black humor, Winter Kills views the political skullduggery of the late 20th century with a sharp, jaundiced eye.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Aug 12, 2023

“Winter Kills” is, above all, an exercise in tone—a crazed, hectic tone that instantly suggests a world irreparably out of whack. What lends the movie substance is the cinematic style that Richert crafts from its dramatic premise.

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Peter Sobczynski

RogerEbert.com

Aug 11, 2023

4/4

It seems to have grown even bolder with age in its willingness to take on sacred cows in the craziest manner imaginable.

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Brad Hanford

Slant Magazine

Aug 8, 2023

The history of Winter Kills is nearly as lurid and tangled as the conspiracy it depicts.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Sep 19, 2025

1/4

...an often astonishingly misguided bomb that just doesn’t work in the slightest.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Jan 23, 2024

3/5

…most of the plot elements of Winter Kills have matured over the years, making it something of a hidden gem for anyone with a passing interest in American politics…

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Ray Pride

Newcity

Oct 16, 2023

10/10

Richert’s deliciously berserk [movie] almost never saw the light of day before its patchy completion and release in 1979; it’s pungent satire, a Kennedy-conspiracy thriller... that must, as has been said, be seen to be disbelieved,

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thiago S

@Thiagostone Apr 29, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Shioka O

@RT54204327 Apr 5, 2026

there are many similar political conspiracy themed movies from 70s but there are much more better one around than this. Jeff Bridges is very young here.

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Chris r

@RT38876782 Sep 8, 2025

Great movie once u understand it’s a comedy lol, but it’s has a good balance of drama moments too. I really liked it. And so many damn movie starts just pop out of nowhere. It’s a treat.

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CodyZamboni Z

@CodyZamboni Nov 22, 2024

Movie starts off crazy, and gets sillier and sillier, and more convoluted, with wackier and wackier characters and situations, It plays like an unintended spoof of conspiracy movies, Top acting talent embarrass themselves, including huge cameos by Elizabeth Taylor and Toshiro Mifune, who both do absolutely nothing,

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Alec B

@Alec97 Jan 9, 2024

Even if the final product feels unfinished (which given the troubled production, is understandable) I can appreciate the way the movie both indulges in conspiracy theory tropes and then cheekily undermines them.

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Steve D

@RT35616104 Aug 15, 2023

Weird tone, lame story.

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William Richert

Director

Jeff Bridges

Nick Kegan

John Huston

Pa Kegan

Anthony Perkins

John Cerruti

Sterling Hayden

Z.K. Dawson

Eli Wallach

Joe Diamond

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Synopsis

Inspired by the conspiracy theories surrounding John F. Kennedy's assassination, this comic thriller follows Nick Kegan (Jeff Bridges), the younger brother of a U.S. president killed 19 years earlier. After finding a man claiming to be his brother's second assassin, Nick begins an intricate investigation into the secrets behind the murder. But Nick runs into trouble when his controlling father (John Huston) tries to keep him from uncovering the truth.

Director: William Richert
Producer: Daniel H. Blatt, Fred C. Caruso
Screenwriter: Richard Condon, William Richert
Distributor: AVCO Embassy Pictures
Production Co: Winter Gold Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 11, 1979, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 11, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $75.6K
Runtime: 1h 37m

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