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Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeroen Perceval, Jeanne Dandoy, Barbara Sarafian, Tibo Vandenborre ... see more see more... , Frank Lammers , Kris Cuppens

Domineering cattle farmer Jacky Vanmarsenille (Matthias Schoenaerts), constantly pumped on steroids and hormones, initiates a shady deal with a notorious mafioso meat trader. When an investigating fed... read more read more...eral agent is assassinated and a woman from his traumatic past resurfaces, Jacky must confront his demons and face the far-reaching consequences of his decisions. -- (C) Drafthouse Films

Flixster Users

82% liked it

1,543 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

46 critics

R, 2 hr. 4 min.

Directed by: Michael R. Roskam

Release Date: February 17, 2012

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DVD Release Date: June 26, 2012

Stats: 119 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (119)


  • March 16, 2012
    A hypermasculine, steroid-shooting bull of a man seeks revenge for a boyhood wrong amidst the Belgian agrarian hormone trading underground. A well-plotted crime drama with a twist that makes you feel a strange sympathy for its intensely frightening protagonist.
  • March 12, 2012
    Not really about the mafia of hormones as it is about a tormented man insecure about his masculinity - but the film's misled attempt to focus on both subjects makes it too complicated, with so many unnecessary scenes. Still, Schoenaerts is perfect as the fascinating protagonist.
  • February 20, 2012
    Dark and gritty, Bullhead is a powerhouse of a drama. Coming from a viewer who has had it with the overuse of flashbacks in films, Bullhead finds a way of utilizing the technique in a much more pleasing fashion, blending the life of main character Jacky as a boy with his beefed-u... read morep (pun intended) and steroid-laden older self. The shocking revelation of Jacky's past enriches this film with a depth that saves it from being just another mob-infringed thriller gone bad. Matthias Schoenaerts lands a role he was born for and reminds of Tom Hardy early in his career.
  • March 30, 2012
    Bullhead was in the nominated films for Best Foreign Films for Oscar 2012. And even though Belgium don't have a rich history in film-making, it is sure one of the countries that often produced some original or unusual movies.And so was Bullhead, not only with its style but also t... read morehe way it was shot and how the story developed.It definitely had its own style which was dark and featured plenty of crazy moments. A crime film of the Belgian hormone mafia. Not exactly the sort of thing you would first of.The story played out just as well as for a normal crime film involving drugs and money laundry, only this one was very effective and put you on the edge of your seat.The characters was what made this film very special, since they were not ordinary characters, you are normally see in crime films. These were just a bunch of rotten looking men, who were all far from perfect with a long and dark, dirty past. The main character Jacky hardly talked and was not a nice guy, due to the misuse of hormones throughout the years, even so he made me care and feel pity for his character. That was the films greatest strength. No matter how dirty and ugly the film turned it still made you feel involved and care for the characters in it. On a dramatic level the movie worked really well, it provided the film with some powerful moments.
  • November 24, 2011
    HIFF 31: I don't know what to make of this film. It's about black market meat and so much more. Decently acted, but I just couldn't get into the story.
  • March 8, 2012
    I've seen Bullhead twice now and greatly enjoyed it both times. The look of the movie is so dark and oppressive, and it's so hard to watch the characters try to make up for their messed up past in messed up ways. It does mix its genres - a twisty whodunnit and a drama centered a... read moreround tragic folks, but I think it worked.

Critic Reviews


Roger Ebert
March 1, 2012
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It's one of those films you have to reconstruct in your mind. Full Review

Anthony Lane
February 27, 2012
Anthony Lane, New Yorker

Some of the dialogue is overloaded, but the formidable cinematography, by Nicolas Karakatsanis, envelops us in an ever-darkening world. Full Review

Mark Jenkins
February 24, 2012
Mark Jenkins, Washington Post

Many terms applied to action movies - muscular, animalistic, testosterone-fueled - are literally true of Bullhead. Full Review

Colin Covert
February 24, 2012
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Despite the unlikely setup, this Oscar-nominated thriller proves that where illegal substances are concerned, one line of trafficking is as deadly as another. Full Review

Wesley Morris
February 23, 2012
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

[It] has enough strands of story for an epic tale. But Roskam appears more interested in trying to combine genres that don't easily cohere. Full Review

Owen Gleiberman
February 22, 2012
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly

Bullhead proves that you can make an underworld movie pumped up with pretension. Full Review

James Rocchi
February 22, 2012
James Rocchi, MSN Movies

Bullhead is a fierce slab of filmmaking served sizzling hot, but at the center it's ice-cold and bloody. Full Review

Dana Stevens
February 17, 2012
Dana Stevens, Slate

I hope we'll be getting another chance to watch Matthias Schoenaerts' work in the near future -- as huge as he is in this role, I suspect there's plenty more to see. Full Review

William Goss
February 17, 2012
William Goss, Film.com

Guided with a sure hand by writer-director Roskam, Bullhead is a tragic character study in the guise of a seedy crime drama. Full Review

Scott Tobias
February 16, 2012
Scott Tobias, NPR

A GoodFellas set among the hormone mafia may not sound like a great movie, but Roskam subtly steers it toward intense and agonizing character study, with the bovine-supplement angle raising the stakes... Full Review

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