Machine Gun Preacher
Seen it?2011 | 129 min | Action, Thriller, Crime
Weeknight WatchWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With middling reviews (28% on Rotten Tomatoes) and a box office loss, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and action fans. If you loved Children of Men or She Rides Shotgun, start here. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Tense, gritty.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 2 hr 9 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
The true story of Sam Childers, a former drug-dealing biker who finds God and became a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children who've been kidnapped and pressed into duty as soldiers.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsBelow par
28% on Rotten Tomatoes, 43 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.7 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$3 million worldwide on a $30 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 97K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
Children of Men
Friday Night FlickAnother critically acclaimed military thriller.
Tom Clancy's Without Remorse Weeknight WatchAnother military action film, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
She Rides Shotgun
Saturday SpecialAnother crime thriller, and a Saturday Special.
The Book of Eli Weeknight WatchAnother action film, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
The International Weeknight WatchAnother crime thriller, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Marc Forster
- Gerard ButlerSam Childers
- Michelle MonaghanLynn
- Kathy BakerDaisy
- Richard GoteriGun Shop Owner
- Peter CareyBill Wallace
- Barbara CovenShannon Wallace
- Michael ShannonDonnie
- Ryann CamposPaige #1
- Madeline CarrollPaige #2
- Mandalynn CarlsonPaige's Friend