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The Killing of a Chinese Bookie

1976 · 135 min

A grimy, slow-burning character study that immerses you in a seedy underworld of desperation and quiet tragedy.

Directed by
John Cassavetes
Genres
Thriller, Crime, Drama
Starring
Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel
Overview
Cosmo Vittelli, the proprietor of a sleazy, low-rent Hollywood cabaret, has a real affection for the women who strip in his peepshows and the staff who keep up his dingy establishment. He also has a major gambling problem that has gotten him in trouble before. When Cosmo loses big-time at an underground casino run by mobster Mort, he isn't able to pay up. Mort then offers Cosmo the chance to pay back his debt by knocking off a pesky, Mafia-protected bookie.

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Rent or buy in the UK
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
John Cassavetes
Genres
Thriller, Crime, Drama
Starring
Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel
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How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • bleakstrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
demanding, 4 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • isolation
  • obsession
  • betrayal
  • survival
  • identity
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • nonlinear
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language strong
  • Violence strong
  • Sex strong
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action4
Horror2
Humour2
Realism8
Romance3
Tension7
Darkness8
Complexity7
Emotional weight8

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
thriller, crime, drama
Directed by
John Cassavetes
Written by
John Cassavetes
Starring
Ben Gazzara, Timothy Carey, Seymour Cassel, Robert Phillips, Morgan Woodward, Al Ruban, Azizi Johari, Haji
Music
Bo Harwood
Cinematography
Al Ruban, Mitch Breit
Runtime
135 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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