Man Bites Dog
Seen it?1992 | 96 min | Comedy, Crime
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (70% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans and anyone who wants a laugh. If you loved Pulp Fiction or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, start here.
- The mood
- Darkly funny.
- The pace
- Breezy, at 1 hr 36 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated NC-17: meant for adults.
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
The activities of rampaging, indiscriminate serial killer Ben are recorded by a willingly complicit documentary team, who eventually become his accomplices and active participants. Ben provides casual commentary on the nature of his work and arbitrary musings on topics of interest to him, such as music or the conditions of low-income housing, and even goes so far as to introduce the documentary crew to his family. But their reckless indulgences soon get the better of them.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
70% on Rotten Tomatoes, 67 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
1 win and 2 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$4 million worldwide on a $33K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 102K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Rémy Belvaux, Benoît Poelvoorde, André Bonzel
- Benoît PoelvoordeBen
- Rémy BelvauxRémy
- André BonzelAndré
- Jacqueline Poelvoorde-PappaertBen's Mother
- Valérie ParentValerie
- Édith Le MerdyNurse
- Jenny DryeJenny
- Malou MadouMalou
- Willy VandenbroeckBoby
- Nelly PappaertBen's Grandmother