The Bag Man (I) (2014) User Reviews (612)

Motel Room 13

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 21 March 2014]

That is the "german" title of the movie, which sees Cusack as a lovable bad guy. And while he is doing some despicable things, he also acts in a way that makes the audience care for him. Just the fact that it is Cusack playing that guy/character gives him some points in that direction. Only Paul Rudd might have had a more positive resonance from the audience (and it would have been fun to see him in a role like this).

The twists and turns of the movie are more or less predictable, but the movie is really nicely done. There is also a scene (a "clash" of some sorts, that you know is coming), with some really intense and good dialog (especially De Niros delivery). The rest is OK, with a leading lady that would bewitch almost any (straight) male.

really disappointing

[hudsucker2000 · 4/10 · 27 April 2014]

I was really attracted to this movie due to the cast. I love Crispin Glover, and his role and acting were great. I felt the script was really weak at times, which left the other two stars, Jon Cusack and Robert DeNiro looking pretty pathetic. The chick was smoking hot, but again the acting seemed like acting. No Oscars here.

I also felt the director was building a few moments to crescendo and reveal a shocking truth or twist, but the film was so predictable, all the efforts fell short. The movie dragged on and in the end, predictable.

I did like the location of the motel, a really creepy atmosphere. Good job, location scout.

This movie is watchable, but not something you'll be telling friends about.

Despite some good performances, this falls flat

[trublu215 · 5/10 · 6 March 2014]

At the start of The Bag Man, you get excited to see Cusack returning to his hit-man- persona ala Grosse Point Blank. Unfortunately, the film is nowhere near the caliber it should be. This is a film that rolls in dread and tries to put a Tarantino-esque spin on an age old storyline, needless to say, it doesn't work. As you watch the film and get further into the story, the central question of "what's in the bag" becomes less and less interesting and appealing. Despite a flat story, The Bag Man features strong performances from John Cusack and Rebecca De Costa which keeps the audience intrigued, even if the story doesn't. Robert De Niro can play a gangster in his sleep, so I can't exactly praise him for his performance here. Although, it is Robert De Niro so any screen presence he has is still good, just not as good as everybody wants him to be. The rest of the supporting cast, such as Crispin Glover and Dominic Purcell are mediocre, at best.

Overall, this film doesn't quite work the way we want it to. It sags in the middle and then gets a pick-me-up at the end. It doesn't click like it should, which is frustrating considering the talent behind the film. The Bag Man wants to be the best Tarantino movie that Tarantino never made. Instead, it looks and feels like a cheap direct-to-DVD mess with an A-list cast.

Hollywood wake UP!!!!

[clwhippl · 25 February 2021]

Finally you stopped using those stupid shaky cameras. Like I want to pay to see a movie filmed with the same quality as my kids birthday parties. Now you insist on having a bunch of action in the dark. Directors, find a way for the audience to see what's happening . Story has great actors, doing a great job with a bad script and clueless directing.

I am speechless, but fortunately I can still write.

[spydermanstudios · 1/10 · 12 April 2014]

Preamble; I love movies of all genres from The Princess Bride to Total Recall with side-trips through the classics and British Comedies. That being said, this is perhaps the worst movie I've seen to which actors of this caliber have been attached. This is Grovic's first directorial attempt, and he has yet to develop a sense of tone, story-telling, etc... This movie is a mish-mash of other stories pasted together with no commitment to it being a comedy, gritty suspense story, visceral murder and mayhem fest or spoof. It's a mystery, to me, why these very talented actors made this movie. Are they friends or relatives of the director? Did he have a colossal budget to pay them? Was the script great and then thrown out during the process of making the movie? Beats me. I rented from a Red Box and I feel cheated at $1.20 Sorry for being so harsh about this film, but when proved actors whom I regularly pay theater prices to see work make a movie like this it's jarring to my artistic sensibility. Better luck next time.

I had fun with this movie--it has a sense of humor about itself.

[dewittambassador · 7/10 · 22 February 2015]

This was not a great movie, but there was plenty of fun stuff going on. I laughed out loud a few times, and had fun almost the whole way. Not everyone will like it, sure, but I don't see how it is as bad as a lot of the reviews are saying, and I wonder if those people had mistaken expectations? Like they thought it would be tense and gritty, grim and threatening? But it's not--it's a left-field black comedy with some tight action moments and--yes--actual character development. Maybe you have to have the right kind of sense of humor to enjoy it--almost nothing in this movie is meant to be taken seriously, not even the weird romantic tension that develops, and certainly not the eventually revealed backstory that drives the plot. I would rather watch 10 quirky, off-beat, low-budget indie black comedies like this than 1 (imho) flat-footed, ham-fisted, self-serious big-effects-budget film like ... Skyfall.

Adjectives have not yet been invented to describe what I saw

[farberw-1 · 1/10 · 8 March 2014]

Having just seen this film, I am in a state of disbelief, bordering on numbness. That John Cusak, memorable in " The Grifters, " & Robert De Niro, would sign on to this train wreck is beyond comprehension. De Niro's hair stylist is only surpassed by Stevie Wonder's & his costume designer is from the Liberace School of Tackiness. As far as the plot, theme, story-line, whatever...it is an embarrassment to the film industry, at large. To borrow a phrase from Judge Welsh, when questioning Senator Joseph McCarthy, to all who participated in this disaster: " Have you no shame?" I take no satisfaction in saying what I just did, but I could not, in good conscience, let this slip by & traumatize those out there who would expect to see a quality film & end up wondering what they just wasted their time watching. It is B A D!

Sophisticated Thrill

[dorotha-betty · 7/10 · 13 March 2014]

The Bag Man is a modern day film noir crime story which is a great showcase for John Cusack as "Jack" the bagman, assigned to look after a mysterious leather satchel while hiding out at a seedy motel. Robert De Niro plays his crime boss and looks interesting with a silver pompadour, a la Paulie from the Sopranos.

The movie is definitely more sophisticated than a generic crime thriller with De Niro's character quoting Herman Hesse and Sun Tzu. The motel Cusack hides out in is also filled with odd characters like the desk clerk played by Crispin Glover, a Serbian dwarf and a pimp with an eye patch. The tension of not knowing what's in the bag works very well and there's also lots of good action.

All in all, The Bag Man was a pretty enjoyable ride and had an offbeat sensibility that reminded me of the Coen brothers.

It's like watching De Niro and Cusack in 'Day of our Lives'

[dv-65 · 2/10 · 7 March 2014]

Where have all the good reviews come from ? I actually felt a little heart broken watching this film. De Nero's acting and film choices used to mean something, I used to get excited waiting from them to arrive..then blown away by film and his performance...remember that ? This is not that. How rich does he need to be ? This is like Steve Spielberg spending the remainder of his career using his iPhone to film his own sh*ts . I'm not saying I wouldn't watch but I would be almost as disappointed.

This feels like a thriller from the eighties..pre-Tarantino, pre-Jason Bourne , a time when you could suggest that something crazy and exciting was going to happen but it never really does. Rebecca de Costa, plucked from B-Movie obscurity , has the sort of charm and performance ability of a ,Roger Moore era, Bond girl . She's tall, pretty and busty [ we see her in her bra ,for various reasons ,several times. Obviously the director thought we might not notice otherwise.] but acting wise she can't really do it..especially against Cusack who you can see desperately searching her eyes for anything to play off of...

David Grovic , possibly the worst actor ever to appear in a movie with De Niro, has somehow managed to raise enough money to make a film with our two heroes but decided to entrust the writing and directing to himself ...which is his first ever go at writing anything, so that's bound to be really, really, good right ? Mr. Grovic's, terrible, terrible mumbling performance as the lawyer at the end, almost lands the coup do grace... but this is left instead to his directorial decision , to finish the film with a odd ,not thought through, shot of the back of John Cusack's head, just before he drives off in the mid-afternoon Mid-town traffic...

What's in the bag, Man ? It's Brad Pitt's girlfriends head from the film 'Seven' .

PS: Incidentally if you check any of the authors of the good reviews, you will see that they have only ever reviewed one film , this one....I think someone is trying to influence the IMDb star rating. Although I believe even they are trying to give out subliminal messages..look for the rave review by Eric Poop.

Decent Performances Save A Weak Script

[MovieHoliks · 6/10 · 4 May 2015]

Another one of those movies that barely gets a theatrical release you find on-demand, "The Bag Man" stars John Cusack in another fine performance as a hit man, who goes against his boss, played by Robert DeNiro. I noticed that DeNiro is looking very much like Hollywood legendary producer, Robert Evans, in this. Now DeNiro had co-starred in the 1997 film "Wag the Dog" alongside Dustin Hoffman, who admitted he took his character's inspiration from Robert Evans, so I was wondering if maybe DeNiro was doing the same here- with the look of the character anyways?? Well, anyway, overall I found myself enjoying this little film. Without giving anything away, I did sorta predict the ending, however, the performances were decent enough I would recommend seeing this- especially for fans of Cusack.

What was in the bag ? !!

[kagey-28769 · 4/10 · 17 January 2021]

What there should have been in the bag was some BULBS for the lights as there wasn't any !!

Mediocre film with a few good bits with a story that only has any story and logic when it's laid out at the end !!

Not surprised a lot of people hated it. I love it.

[machi712-835-648661 · 9/10 · 21 January 2016]

I usually watch movies based on their high IMDb scores, but movies like "The Bag Man" are why I sometimes dip down into the 5's and 6's. At first I was surprised to see so many reviewers call it "boring", "bad" and "nonsensical", but then I realized that this film just isn't for everybody, but for some--like me--it's riveting. Almost the entire movie takes place during one night at a roadside hotel, where our protagonist, a contract killer (Cusack), is meant to go with a package and wait for pickup. Only everything and everyone around him seem to be set against him. The characters he meets and adventures he has there are fascinating, quirky, and surreal. The best way I can describe it is as a mix between "Identity", "Mulholland Dr.", and The Book of Genesis.

I think this movie has gotten so many bad reviews because it doesn't fit the mold. It defies expectations, and some people won't like that. But if you're looking for something different, something that can surprise you, watch "The Bag Man". And try to vanquish your expectations.

Special props to Crispin Glover for portraying the hilariously strange Ned. My favorite character!

Film With A Limited Audience

[atlasmb · 7/10 · 13 April 2022]

With its vivid visual style, generous amounts of violence, and a focus on the nocturnal, one can understand why viewers often compare "The Bag Man" to some films by Tarantino. But it falls short by comparison.

Most of the action takes place at a motel, where the titular bag man, Jack (John Cusack) has been directed to wait until his employer sends someone for the bag he has been instructed to guard (while never looking inside). The motel has a colorful variety of denizens, including a blue-haired, leggy female who seems interested in Jack's affairs. But so do the others. Including the motel manager, Ned, who Crispin Glover plays with his usual quirkiness.

Jack, who is understandably paranoid, is dragged down a rabbit hole of cascading events. As things go off the rails, he clings to his moral code. He might be a hitman, but he is as reliable as they come. He is no John Wick though; things get messier and messier throughout the night.

This is one of those films designed to keep you wondering what will happen from one moment to the next, with the viewer never permitted an understanding that exceeds that of the protagonist. Because of that, and the level of gratuitous violence, "The Bag Man" has a limited audience. The acting is believable, despite the film's over-the-top, stylized universe.

"isreali" the worst movie I have EVER seen (and I've seen a lot of movies)

[sarfarazahmad · 1/10 · 27 March 2014]

After watching this movie I felt like I'd been the victim of a gangbang. In the start of the movie Deniro is offering Cusack a dangerous job of bringing a bag to a seedy motel in exchange for lots of cash. And thats the whole premise of the film."just don't looook in the bag," are Deniro's special instructions.

About three minutes into the film Cusack has the bag and is at the motel. And then the rest of the film is about him not looking in the bag and protecting it from people who want to look into the bag.

There is so much needless violence and nonsensical plot twists. Why does Cusack casually kill 2 cops in the adjoining room? Why does cusack need to kill the dwarf and the pimp? Why does Cusack need to kill the poor guy who runs the motel? Why does Cusack need to kill the three redneck cops? Why does Cusack need to kill Deniro and his goon?

More annoying than this is when Cusack asks the exotic lookingfemale lead "Are you from Israel?" Why? What relevance has this to the plot? Her bizarre answer "I'm not from Israel but I love Israel," is repeated about six times? Why? 😲😖 In the end of the movie after the Israeli lover helps murder Deniro Cusack proudly says to her "youre one tough hebrew."

I really really wish I had never ever seen this film.

Disappointing waste of talented actors

[Rick-34 · 3/10 · 26 April 2014]

There's a red flag with movies that go straight to video, esp. one that features big stars like Robert DeNiro and John Cusack. The supporting case, including Rebecca Da Costa and Crispin Clover, is also strong.

But something is just very wrong with this film. It tries way too hard. It tries to be "gritty" but succeeds only in being clichéd. The script has many twists, but most of them are fairly predictable. The problem is that characters do many things without any visible motivation to do so. This leaves us wondering whether the writers are bad or just doing a bad job trying to sneaky. As the motivations become apparently, it becomes increasingly obvious that it's just bad writing.

John Cusack is playing a role reminiscent of his character in "Identity", which unfortunately was another bad movie. DeNiro plays a crime boss, a role he can do in his sleep. Neither is bad, it's just that they have so little to work with.

The Bag Man was excellent

[douglas-nabors · 2 March 2014]

I got the chance to see it this weekend in the theater and it was really fun. Sexy, smart, funny, and had a twist. There are so many movies these days in which you can see the ending coming, but this was not one of those. I will not ruin it for everybody, but it was a real delight and had all of us talking after the film. I was happy to see some of these cast members reunited again such as Cusack and Glover. De Niro is almost always good. I would have loved to see a bit more of him, but that doesn't detract from the very powerful scenes that he was in.

If you're interested in very contained, smart films, this is one you should check out.

Highly recommend.

Enjoyed it very much... but you have to like this type of movie.

[icetech6 · 7/10 · 5 March 2014]

I watched this last night, and will say i enjoyed it A lot. BUT you have to like this type of movie, if you don't then you wont. The story had issues.. but don't care. its a late night nothing else on kind of movie.

And i personally think this is the best thing Deniro has done in years, and i am not joking. So sick of him just being Deniro, in this he was Deniro with a wig.. huge step forward.

Cusack as always was damn good.. and Crispin was just as top notch creepy as only he can do.

The ONLY thing i really hated was the last 5 minutes. Which could have been cut right off and would have made the movie better as a whole.

All and all.. a fun watch:)

Watching someone get a haircut would've been better than this movie

[zakkwilliams2112 · 2/10 · 23 April 2014]

I'm a pretty big DeNiro fan and basically only bought this movie because he was in it. Needless to say, I really regret my decision. The characters in this movie are never developed further than when they are first introduced and it is evident that the writers got tired of writing a TERRIBLE movie and just threw some twists in to tie up loose ends. Cusack's attempt at being a "BA action star" in this movie is a clear failure. The best performance in the movie comes from Crispin Glover, and that really isn't saying much. If I can just get one person to reconsider watching this movie, I'll feel as if I've done by job and possibly saved someone's life because this movie made me want to kill myself. I only gave it a 2/10 because there's a midget in the movie and the way some of the people die is pretty exciting.

DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE.

Enjoyable with a few nice twists

[skwidji · 7/10 · 8 August 2015]

Wow I've seen a lot of bad reviews on this film but for a rental I really enjoyed it. Fine neither Cusack or De Niro are exactly breaking any moulds and they role out a couple of fairly typical characters. But what are you expecting. It's a crime thriller and it does what it says on the tin. I suppose it's pretty formulaic stuff but I got what I was looking for. And thankfully for once it's not a straight forward role for the love interest in the piece, which makes it more entertaining.

If you are looking for something to kill a couple of hours with a bit of suspense, a few twists and a satisfying finale then I'd say give it a go.

The film doesn't hang around and gets straight in to the the plot without delay, which is always a relief. There's nothing worse than a film trying to be too clever to massage the ego of the director or big stars.

It's pretty basic - deliver this bag and don't look in it. An easy job so nothing could go wrong. Right? Well perhaps not.

What ensues is a nicely timed, dark, journey with our main protagonist trying to survive long enough to earn his pay.

I felt like a Bag was over my head the whole movie...

[windycitytoast · 2/10 · 18 March 2014]

Its physically and emotionally draining to see one of the greatest actors of all time succumb himself to such a bad streak of films this year... thats right, I'm talking about Robert De Niro. the Goodfella... the Raging Bull... Don Corleone...Al Capone... the list is endless. I can't wrap my mind around why he does such horrible films these days like The Bag Man, The Big Wedding, Last Vegas(Hangover on Viagra), Killing Season,Grudge Match. Little Fockers..etc. The man is 70 now and has only so many years left before he retires. Obviously people will always remember him by the earlier films, but I think he's more than capable of doing one last memorable film. As far as the Bag Man goes, the story was sloppy, acting was mediocre and thats because the script was bad not the actors, cinematography was a lot of dark lighting, and the music had that ominous CSI random guitar solo feel to it. I only ate half my popcorn and threw the rest away, I got too sick of looking at who and what was on the screen. I wish all of them actually wore bags on there heads, that might have saved the film. 3/10. sorry Robbie.

pretty awesome flick

[tmboom35 · 7/10 · 13 March 2014]

An interesting take on the gun-toting crime thriller, "The Bag Man" stars John Cusack as "Jack" the hired gun who must look after a mysterious bag for Robert De Niro the crime boss with a tendency to quote literature. The offbeat, eccentric nature of the film suggests that writer/director David Grovic is a fan of film's like the Coen Brothers "Blood Simple" or Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction." Set in a seedy, rundown motel, the movie is filled with tension and has great action sequences. It's also unexpectedly funny at times, which offers some needed relief from the violent sequences. It might not be a masterpiece on the level of "The Usual Suspects" but it was a pretty good crime thriller overall and I liked it.

It just ain't good

[chazzo-crw · 3/10 · 4 July 2014]

This script is so bad at times that I imagine it is a spoof. It's just bad. There are a couple of things that keep me going like what is the big secret. But, not even a cast of interesting folks can redeem this clumsy dialog. It never seems to achieve whatever it is that it is trying to be. The scenes disjointed. The characters are cliché. The music is nostalgic noir. It fails to be quirky film that resists categorization. It is just an awkward repertoire of floundering, disjointed scenes. I'd say it's worth a buck at the Redbox. It is still not worth the time. Clearly the author does not get motivation. I am really left wondering why Deniro and Cusak would sign on for this. Maybe if it was all unknowns and a self-funded venture, I'd give it some credit.

Good movie, would recommend

[forbes-terence · 8/10 · 13 March 2014]

It was pretty good, reminded me of a Quentin Tarantino movie with John Cusack instead of Travolta. Thought he was really believable as Jack, the bag man who gets in over his head and has to change the rules and turn the game around.

Robert De Niro was great as usual, this part was totally in his wheelhouse, playing the eccentric crime boss. Oh and Rebecca Da Costa was smoking hot! But seriously, she's also a really good actress and I could see her becoming a really big star after this. And it doesn't hurt that she's hot.

Maybe not an instant classic, but I'd probably recommend "The Bag Man" to friends.

Anticipated the film and not disappointed

[yoyotop40 · 7/10 · 13 March 2014]

The Bag Man was an intriguing whodunit with an excellent script and believable performances from its two stars Robert De Niro and John Cusack. Not your typical Hollywood gun thriller, The Bag Man is tense and filled with plot twists. There is action but its parceled out in bursts and interspersed with the tension and the mystery surrounding the question of "what's in the bag?"

Cusack and De Niro are supported by a cast of colorful characters that populate the motel where Cusack's character hides out with the bag. Crispin Glover is his usual weird self as the desk clerk and Rebecca Da Costa projects star power as the femme fatale Cusack meets in the hotel. Other weird characters include a Serbian dwarf and a pimp with an eye patch. Another cool factor is the mysterious nature of the motel. We never really know where it is and that lends to the slightly surreal, cerebral quality of this film.

A movie that tries too hard to be smart

[thoni898 · 1/10 · 5 August 2014]

Not normally a movie reviewer, I felt compelled to review this movie in the hopes of saving at least one person two hours of their life by dissuading them from watching this movie.

Don't be fooled by the A-listers in the trailer, there is nothing good about this movie. These are the three worst aspects (out of many) about this movie:

3 - The story is full of ridiculous characters who serve absolutely no purpose, except to be unnecessarily killed off in an attempt to further the pointless "plot".

2 - The script is so self-indulgent. The characters are forced to spout arrogant and self-serving lines that can only be included in an attempt to show off how smart the writer is. The script, in particular Robert De Niro's lines, is peppered with a mixture of obscure philosophical / historical references and unnecessary pop culture references. I can only imagine that the writer went to a private school or a brooding art school and used the script to evidence his or her superiority over the lowly audience member.

1 - What is is the bag. I'm not sure whether this was supposed to be a clever throwback to Se7en or the writer just lacked the creativity to think of an original thought (which I very much believe is the case), but it came across as cheap and lazy. Worst possible ending.