From Dusk till Dawn
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From Dusk till Dawn
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that From Dusk Till Dawn is an action-packed horror with extreme violence, strong language, and topless nudity. The film has become something of a cult classic and stars George Clooney and Quentin Tarantino as brothers Seth and Richard Gecko, who are on the run. After kidnapping a family, they encounter a group of vampires, which leads to gory and bloody violence. Much of the blood and gore is over the top, but there are also some distressing scenes. Characters are shot, stabbed, bitten, punched, kicked, and set on fire. Limbs are pulled off, throats are slit, and a heart is ripped out. A woman is raped and murdered off-screen. Frequent strong language includes multiple variants of "f--k," ableist slurs such as "retard," as well as racist language. There is also graphic sexual references and frequent topless female nudity Half of the movie is set in a strip club where characters are shown drinking heavily and becoming violent partly as a result.
What's the Story?
After robbing a bank Seth (George Clooney) and Richie Gecko (Quentin Tarantino) take an unwitting family hostage in FROM DUSK TILL DAWN. But after the brothers force their hostages to help them cross the Mexican border, they encounter a group of vampires.
Is It Any Good?
This Tarantino screenplay is more a joint effort than usual, adapted from a story by Robert Kurtzman and directed by his friend Robert Rodriguez in the first of their collaborations. From Dusk Till Dawn also stars Clooney in one of his earlier movie roles, clearly keen to break with his nice-guy image by being cast against type as a deadpan thief and killer, with Tarantino in tow as his predatory and violent brother.
Despite all the talent involved, it's fair to say that this 1996 film is regarded as a cult favorite rather than a classic. This is because the second half of the movie flips a switch that transforms it from a noir-ish getaway tale into a gonzo vampire flick. In the process it has to make do with less of Tarantino's snappy dialogue and give itself over to a raucous final act in which blood and gore paint the walls. There are no surprises left by the ending, but if you can get on board with a band of Hollywood heavyweights -- including a snake-toting cameo from Salma Hayek -- embracing an unapologetic genre movie, you'll find something to sink your teeth into here.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in From Dusk Till Dawn. Did the blood and gore seem over the top? What impact did that have? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Did you find the movie scary? How did it compare to other vampire movies you've seen?
Talk about the strong language used. Did it seem necessary or excessive? Was it needed to make the story more realistic?
There is a lot of nudity in the film. Did you find it gratuitous? Why, or why not?
How was drinking and drug use depicted in the movie? Were they glamorized? Did the characters need to do these things to look cool? What were the consequences?
Movie Details
- In theaters: January 19, 1996
- On DVD or streaming: October 3, 2000
- Cast: George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, Harvey Keitel, Juliette Lewis
- Director: Robert Rodriguez
- Studio: Dimension Films
- Genre: Horror
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- Run time: 108 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: strong violence and gore, language and nudity
- Last updated: December 1, 2022
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