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Staten Island

Play trailer Poster for Staten Island R 2009 1h 36m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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25% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 28% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
After learning that his girlfriend is expecting their first child, blue-collar Sully (Ethan Hawke) decides to rob local mob boss Parmie Tarzo (Vincent D'Onofrio). Tarzo, whose campaign to save Staten Island Forest serves as a front for his illegal activities, relies on Jasper (Seymour Cassel) to make his enemies disappear. But Jasper, a deaf-mute deli worker, is growing old and wants out of his dangerous job. Sully's plan sets off a chain of events that quickly gets out of hand.

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Staten Island

Critics Reviews

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Elizabeth Weitzman New York Daily News 11/20/2009
2/4
DeMonaco deserves credit for wanting to do something different. But what starts out as a witty tweak on tired mobster movies eventually collapses into those very same clichs. Go to Full Review Robert Abele Los Angeles Times 11/20/2009
3/5
The tonal idiosyncrasies may grate early on but things coalesce nicely until the whole thing starts to resemble a diverting short story. Go to Full Review Andy Webster New York Times 11/20/2009
3/5
If Staten Island, New York is an ode to what it calls "the forgotten stepchild of Manhattan," it is a barbed and quirky one. Go to Full Review Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru 11/22/2009
7.75/10
An invigorating, lively and captivating crime drama boasting a terrific cast, sharp dialogue and just the right amount of dark comic relief. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Sammy T @RT91612141 Jul 9 This movie is touching emotionally, dryly and seriously ironic (a thinking person's movie), satire-filled, has incongruous ploys by the characters, is strangely symbolic, and is darkly humourous (laugh out loud)! It's a combination of Tarantino, and the Coen Brothers . . . See more Patricia K @RT96601215 02/01/2025 I can’t believe Vincent D’onofrio & Ethan Hawke Decided to do this movie. See more Billy L @RT18959557 10/16/2024 All participants in this film should quit and find another career See more 09/04/2015 The lives of a septic tank cleaner, an ambitious mob boss, and a deaf-mute deli worker converge in tragedy in this seriocomic crime drama from director/screenwriter James DeMonaco. Blue collar by birth, Sully Halverson (Ethan Hawke) has never amounted to much in life. When Sully finds out he's about to become a father, he schemes to rob Parmie Tarzo (Vincent D'Onifrio), a small-time kingpin who's looking for a way to leave his mark on the world. By saving Staten Island Forest, Parmie surmises, he can mold an upstanding public persona for himself while quietly eliminating the competition behind closed doors. That's where Jasper Sabiano (Seymour Cassel) comes in. Seymour may not be able to hear or speak, but he's a hard worker who knows where his bread is buttered. When he's not serving up bagels and coffee, Jasper is dispatching bodies for Tarzo -- frequently in Staten Island Forest. But lately Jasper has been growing tired of the game, and he's desperate to find a way out. When Sully sets his plan into motion, all three men find themselves thrust into a volatile situation that threatens to destroy their plans for the future as it quickly spirals out of control. See more 03/23/2014 I loved the non-linear story, kudos to the first-time director to making it work. Unfortunately the movie suffers from bad acting (despite some star power) and cringe-worthy dialog, but the unconventional story makes it worthwhile. See more 08/22/2013 Ethan Hawk. Do I need to say more. See more Read all reviews
Staten Island

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Cast & Crew

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James DeMonaco

Director

Ethan Hawke

Sully Halverson

Vincent D'Onofrio

Parmie

Seymour Cassel

Jasper

Julianne Nicholson

Maria

Dennis Albanese

Wise Guy

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Staten Island

Staten Island (2009) Staten Island (2009) Staten Island (2009) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis After learning that his girlfriend is expecting their first child, blue-collar Sully (Ethan Hawke) decides to rob local mob boss Parmie Tarzo (Vincent D'Onofrio). Tarzo, whose campaign to save Staten Island Forest serves as a front for his illegal activities, relies on Jasper (Seymour Cassel) to make his enemies disappear. But Jasper, a deaf-mute deli worker, is growing old and wants out of his dangerous job. Sully's plan sets off a chain of events that quickly gets out of hand.
Director
James DeMonaco
Producer
Luc Besson, Pascal Caucheteux, Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, Sebastien K. Lemercier, John Merchant
Screenwriter
James DeMonaco
Production Co
EuropaCorp, Why Not Productions, Open City Films
Rating
R (Violent Content|Language)
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 7, 2013
Runtime
1h 36m