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Southland Tales

Southland Tales

This is the way the world ends.

2006145 minRMidcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Director
Richard Kelly
Starring
Dwayne Johnson, Seann William Scott, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mandy Moore

Set in the futuristic landscape of Los Angeles on July 4, 2008, as it stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. Boxer Santaros is an action star who's stricken with amnesia. His life intertwines with Krysta Now, an adult film star developing her own reality television project, and Ronald Taverner, a Hermosa Beach police officer who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Southland Tales?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Southland Tales streaming on Hulu via Disney+, Sony Pictures Core via Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Southland Tales?

Southland Tales earns 4 badges, led by Cult Classic and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Southland Tales worth watching?

Southland Tales' Midcredits score is the 35th percentile of all films, from 91K ratings across 6 sources. 41% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

35th percentile

Better received than 35% of films

38th percentile among Comedy34th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)31st
Approval (how many liked it)39th

56 /100

31st percentile of all films

33rd percentile among Comedy30th percentile among 2000s

Critics 44 · Audience 57

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Ratings scatter across the whole scale — one of the most divisive reactions in the catalog.

41% liked it

39th percentile of all films

43rd percentile among Comedy37th percentile among 2000s
41% rated it 7–1059% rated it 1–6

Critics 41% · Audience 41%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 1 noms overall

94th percentile

90K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Comedy90th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 8% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$17M
Opening weekend$117K
Domestic gross$275K
Worldwide gross$375K

Returned 0.0× its budget — 33rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is an ambitious, densely packed mess of ideas that clearly aims to satirize modern America but utterly fails at coherent storytelling.

Fans praised

  • ambitious density of ideas and genre-mashing
  • inspired soundtrack and musical sequences
  • unique satirical vision of post-9/11 America

Detractors panned

  • incoherent plot that never coheres
  • overstuffed with too many characters and subplots
  • pretentious self-indulgence without emotional payoff

What stands out

Sound and musicDivisive80

Moby's score and curated soundtrack are widely praised highlights

OriginalityDivisive75

wildly ambitious and unlike anything else, but derivative of Lynch/Altman/PKD

AtmosphereDivisive60

distinctive dystopian mood with a Lynchian/Gilliam tone

ActingDivisive45

intentionally exaggerated performances polarize; The Rock and Timberlake praised by fans, panned by detractors

DialogueDivisive35

some sharp satirical one-liners but often trite or on-the-nose

CharactersDivisive30

thinly drawn caricatures with little emotional depth or motivation

Plot and storyDivisive25

overcomplicated, incoherent, and unfocused narrative

PacingDivisive20

bloated runtime with sluggish momentum despite overload of content

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 9 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 8 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is Southland Tales like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark comedy: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want to laugh at things you probably shouldn't.

It is intense, swings between moods and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark comedy.

Moods
ManicTenseAbsurd
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
The answer rests on this: Register
Satirical · 5% of filmsCynical · 1% of filmsAbsurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Chaptered · 1% of films: Told in titled chapters or clearly separate parts.Multiple perspectives · 2% of films: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
ToneThe film holds its absurdly complex material with a satirical and manic energy, often playing it straight to mock political and media culture.
The rideThe film shifts wildly between chaotic satire, tense conspiracy, and absurd musical numbers, culminating in an explosive, heavy finale.
StructureThe film is divided into titled chapters, shifts between multiple character perspectives, and is bookended by a frame narration from Pilot Abilene.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's apocalyptic finale and surreal tone leave a lingering unease, but the theme of forgiveness offers a bittersweet note.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic 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% (this title) · Corporate villainy 1% · 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. · Oppressive state: A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Tragedy underneath

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

Why this archetypeThe central plot involves a time rift causing duplicate souls and a conspiracy by an oppressive state and corporate powers, leading to an apocalyptic finale.

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 filmsSelfFreedomPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% (this title) · 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%

Power

Freedom · 5% of filmsIdentity · 14% of filmsGrief · 6% of films
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores freedom lost and sought through political control, surveillance, and personal amnesia, while characters struggle with fractured identities and the weight of past trauma.
StanceThe film satirizes American political and media systems, presenting a chaotic vision of freedom under threat, with multiple interconnected characters.

The world

Near futureUrbanDomesticInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral modernElectronicPopForeground music · hybrid · Moby
SettingAlternate 2008 Los Angeles post-nuclear attack, with surveillance state and alternative energy mega-corporations.
MusicMoby's song 'Memory Gospel' is integrated as a key musical sequence, and other tracks like 'All These Things That I've Done' by The Killers appear diegetically.

Content guide

Is Southland Tales okay for kids?

R

Southland Tales is rated R: “Rated R for language, violence, sexual material and some drug content” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (64/100), sexual content at moderate (44/100), language at intense (79/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (64/100) and frightening material at moderate (58/100). Overall it is heavier than 55% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 12 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • JapanR18+
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina+16
  • Hungary16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 73% of all filmsHeavier than 55% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 41%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 42%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 71%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 81%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 41%

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

The reason to think twice is language, violence, and drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

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 Southland Tales have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Southland Tales?

Cast

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

Dwayne Johnson
as Boxer Santaros
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.
Seann William Scott
as Roland Taverner
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.
Sarah Michelle Gellar
as Krysta Kapowski
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Mandy Moore
as Madeline Frost Santaros
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.
Justin Timberlake
as Private Pilot Abilene
newcomer then · star now
Miranda Richardson
as Nana Mae Frost
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Wallace Shawn
as Baron Von Westphalen
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Bai Ling
as Serpentine
Nora Dunn
as Cyndi Pinziki
John Larroquette
as Vaughn Smallhouse
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Southland Tales?

Movies like Southland Tales include Brazil (1985), Sweet Movie (1974) and Domino (2005). Of the 11 closest matches, two are films written by Richard Kelly, and several are films set in the near future.

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

5 of these 11 share its subject: freedom. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Southland Tales?

139 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: multiverse. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.