The Boondock Saints (1999)
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After a self-defense incident, twin brothers embark on a mission to purge the criminal underworld of Boston in the name of God.
The story
In Boston, Irish American fraternal twin brothers Connor and Murphy MacManus find themselves in a violent confrontation with Russian mobsters during a Saint Patrick's Day celebration. After the brothers kill two mobsters in self-defense, they receive a divine calling to rid the city of all evil. They begin a crusade against the criminal underworld, while being pursued by FBI Special Agent Paul Smecker. The twins, along with their friend Rocco, navigate a dangerous landscape of organized crime, attempting to fulfill their mission while evading the authorities and the escalating retaliation from the Russian mafia.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After defending themselves against Russian mobsters, twins Connor and Murphy MacManus receive a 'calling' from God to purge Boston of evil. They team up with their friend Rocco to hunt down members of the Yakavetta crime family. During their crusade, they encounter various enemies, including the hitman 'Il Duce'—who is revealed to be their father. They eventually infiltrate a courthouse to publicly execute the mob boss, Papa Joe, while being hailed as 'the Saints' by the media. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Paul Smecker faces a moral dilemma as he investigates the twins, eventually deciding to assist them in their cause.
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 108
- Production countries
- United States; Canada
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Troy Duffy
- Writers
- Troy Duffy · writer
- Cast and characters
- Willem Dafoe · Paul Smecker; Sean Patrick Flanery · Connor MacManus; Norman Reedus · Murphy MacManus; David Della Rocco · David "The Funny Man" Della Rocco; Billy Connolly · Noah "Il Duce" MacManus
- Genres
- vigilante action thriller; crime thriller
- Themes
- vigilante justice; faith; father-son relationships
- Tone and mood
- violent; action-packed
- Premise and plot tags
- vigilante; dual protagonists; religious; mafia
- Franchise connections
- The Boondock Saints
- Content notes
- extreme violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed to negative reviews from critics, specifically regarding its portrayal of vigilante justice, but it achieved cult status through word-of-mouth and home video sales.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 44 · scale: 100 · review count: 4
- Production trivia
- The film's title was originally the name of the director's band.; The script was initially considered one of the hottest in Hollywood.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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