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Savages

Savages

Young. Beautiful. Deadly.

2012131 minRMidcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Director
Oliver Stone
Starring
Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Travolta

Pot growers Ben and Chon face off against the Mexican drug cartel that kidnapped their shared girlfriend.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Savages?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Savages to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Savages?

Savages earns 7 badges, led by Star-studded and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Savages worth watching?

Savages' Midcredits score is the 57th percentile of all films, from 196K ratings across 6 sources. 56% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

57th percentile

Better received than 57% of films

59th percentile among Crime57th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)51st
Approval (how many liked it)61st

62 /100

51st percentile of all films

52nd percentile among Crime51st percentile among 2010s

Critics 59 · Audience 62

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

56% liked it

61st percentile of all films

61st percentile among Crime61st percentile among 2010s
56% rated it 7–1044% rated it 1–6

Critics 50% · Audience 54%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 7 noms overall

97th percentile

196K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Crime97th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 24% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$45M
Opening weekend$16M
Domestic gross$47M
Worldwide gross$83M

Returned 1.8× its budget — 95th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slick, stylish crime thriller with a standout villain performance but a flawed script and uneven acting.

Fans praised

  • gritty, visceral direction and dark action
  • veteran supporting cast steals scenes (Del Toro, Hayek, Travolta)
  • entertaining, fast-paced drug-cartel thriller

Detractors panned

  • weak, wooden lead performances (esp. Kitsch, Lively)
  • unconvincing love-triangle and cliched characters
  • tedious narration and messy double ending

What stands out

AtmosphereDivisive65

sharp contrast between Laguna Beach paradise and cartel hell

PacingDivisive55

slow first act, but builds tension; dragged by bloated runtime

ActingDivisive50

veterans (Del Toro, Hayek, Travolta) praised; leads (Lively, Kitsch, Johnson) widely criticized as wooden

Plot and storyDivisive50

formulaic drug-war story with contrived logic and plotholes

CharactersDivisive30

unconvincing love triangle, underdeveloped motives, cartoonish villains

OriginalityDivisive30

derivative cartel vs. dealers story, no fresh angle

Dialogue25

cringe-worthy narration ('wargasms'), stilted lines, praised only for Del Toro's menace

EndingDivisive25

widely panned: two endings feel indecisive and unsatisfying

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 10 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Savages like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you hopeful. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Brutal · 7% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its violent cartel conflict and hedonistic drug-dealer lifestyle entirely straight, with no ironic distance.
The rideThe film maintains a thick tension that peaks in a violent confrontation and a tense resolution.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional linear sequence, with a twist ending that does not alter the overall structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Hopeful.

HopefulCathartic · 6% of films
Why it leaves you this wayDespite the brutality, the protagonists escape and start a new life together, leaving a sense of relief and optimism.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% (this title) · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Corporate villainy: A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeTwo marijuana growers must rescue their shared girlfriend from a Mexican cartel after refusing to partner with them, turning the conflict into a violent personal war.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsLoyalty · 4% of filmsSurvival
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on the polyamorous bond between Chon, Ben, and O, and what they will do to protect each other against an external threat.
StanceThe film questions romantic love and loyalty within the brutal context of the drug trade, without celebrating or clearly condemning the characters' choices.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanRuralDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score
SettingLaguna Beach, California, and Mexico's drug-cartel territory

Content guide

Is Savages okay for kids?

R

Savages is rated R: “Rated R for strong brutal and grisly violence, some graphic sexuality, nudity, drug use and language throughout” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (93/100), sexual content at intense (68/100), language at severe (89/100), drug and alcohol content at severe (88/100) and frightening material at intense (74/100). Overall it is heavier than 97% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 34 other countries
  • UK18
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • New ZealandR16
  • JapanR18+
  • Brazil18
  • Argentina+18
  • Belgium16
  • BGC
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK18
  • Hong KongIII
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyVM14
  • LTN-16
  • MexicoC
  • MOD
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • RO18
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeR21
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland18
  • Taiwan18+
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Severe · all five categories
Heavier than 98% of all filmsHeavier than 97% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 91%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 85%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 90%
Alcohol & Drugs
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 97%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 71%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, language, drug and alcohol content, frightening material, and sexual content.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Savages have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Savages?

Cast

4 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Taylor Kitsch
as Chon
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Blake Lively
as O
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
as Ben
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
John Travolta
as Dennis
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Salma Hayek
as Elena
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Benicio Del Toro
as Lado
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Emile Hirsch
as Spin
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Demián Bichir
as Alex
Sandra Echeverría
as Magda
Diego Cataño
as Esteban

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Savages?

Movies like Savages include Peppermint (2018), Mobsters (1991) and Punisher: War Zone (2008). Of the 12 closest matches, most are revenge thrillers, and most are films that feel brutal.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

9 of these 12 share its story type: gangster. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Savages?

1.2K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: outlaw. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.