Directed By:John Herzfeld
Written By:John Herzfeld
2 Days in the Valley
Metascore
Mixed or Average
56
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
56
52% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
30% Mixed
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
17% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
83
2 Days in the Valley is a neatly folded piece of cinematic quirk.
75
IF you can accept the notion of a sympathetic character who is also a hit man - in other words, if you went along with the game in "Pulp Fiction" and "Bulletproof Heart" - you should enjoy 2 Days in the Valley, a fast-moving, sometimes violent, sometimes sexy, sometimes surprisingly funny story of crime and romance in the San Fernando Valley. [27 Sept 1996, p.3E]
75
2 Days in the Valley is skillfully made. The beginning introduces a handful of disparate characters. It juggles their stories and then deftly starts bringing them together through some surprising and unexpected turns.
63
Somehow, although this film's unevenness tends to take us out of the action now and then, there's something kind of agreeable about it. Aiello is extremely funny and so, in his creepy way, is Spader.
50
It's not that this is a bad, blackly comic slice-of-lowlife: It's just that you've just seen it all before.
40
Unfortunately shallow characterisation, a script so laid-back you can almost hear it snoring and the occasional outburst of hokey dialogue lead to a movie a good deal less charming than it thinks it is.
16
Writer-director John Herzfeld blends violence and top-heavy absurdism, creating a self-conscious muddle of indie-style hackery. Strip away the goofball nihilism, though, and what’s left is as formulaic as any straight-to-tape opus with a title like "Dangerous Instinct."
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
38% Positive
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
63% Mixed
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Jan 3, 2026
8
This was a crazy flick... & this was the first film that introduced me to the beautiful & extremely talented Charlize Theron... plus anything that has James Spader is a win...
Sep 28, 2024
5
What could've been a fantastic ensemble cast drama/action/thriller instead becomes a tarantino imitator that stretches itself beyond the scope of its vision. Sadly none of the characters ever feel relatable or 'real' as we watch a series of unlikely people making even more unlikely decisions.Despite this its a very watchable movie and well edited with decent pacing and soundtrack throughout.
Production Company:
- Rysher Entertainment
- Redemption Productions
Release Date:Sep 27, 1996
Duration:1 h 44 m
Rating:R
Tagline:You have one minute to decide the rest of your life.
Awards
Razzie Awards
• 1 Nomination
