A History of Violence (2005)
Tom Stall had the perfect life...until he became a hero.
An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 23 September 2005 |
| Genre | Drama, Thriller, Crime |
| Director | David Cronenberg |
| Starring | Viggo Mortensen, Maria Bello and Ed Harris |
| Runtime | 96 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.9/10 · Metacritic 82/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 88% · IMDb 7.4/10 · TMDB users 7.2/10 |
| Budget | $32 million |
Where to watch A History of Violence
A History of Violence is streaming on Max ($18.49 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Max is $18.49 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 28 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent A History of Violence on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and Spectrum On Demand. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch A History of Violence in 32 other countries
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|---|---|
| Antigua & Barbuda | Max |
| Argentina | Max $9590 ARS |
| Bahamas | Max |
| Barbados | Max |
| Belize | Max |
| Bolivia | Max |
| Brazil | Max R$34.90 |
| Chile | Max $9590 CLP |
| Colombia | Max $24900 COP |
| Costa Rica | Max |
| Dominican Republic | Max |
| Ecuador | Max $8.29 |
| El Salvador | Max |
| Guatemala | Max |
| Guernsey | Netflix |
| Guyana | Max |
| Honduras | Max |
| Ireland | Netflix €11.99 |
| Italy | Skygo, Now TV, Max €11.99 |
| Jamaica | Max |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Mexico | Max $149 MXN |
| Nicaragua | Max |
| Panama | Max $8.29 |
| Paraguay | Max |
| Peru | Max S/35.90 |
| St. Lucia | Max |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Max |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Max |
| United Kingdom | Netflix £13.99 GBP |
| Uruguay | Max $U399 |
| Venezuela | Max |
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What kind of watch this is
David Cronenberg’s 2005 thriller treats a diner knife fight as a detonation, not a resolution. Viggo Mortensen plays a man whose quiet life shatters the moment he defends himself, revealing a violent past that refuses to stay buried. The film runs 96 minutes, a tight window for exploring how much of a person you can hide in plain sight. It asks whether a single act of violence can unmask a lifetime of deception. The tension comes from the gap between the man his family knows and the one the past demands.
What the critics said
Critics largely agreed on the quality, even if the ratings varied slightly. Rotten Tomatoes shows 88% positive reviews as of January 2026, with an average of 7.9/10. Metacritic sits at 82/100 as of October 2025. The Village Voice ranked it the best film of 2005. Audiences polled by CinemaScore were less impressed, giving it a C+.
Peter Travers praised its "explosive power and subversive wit." Roger Ebert, giving it 3.5 stars, noted it is "not a movie about plot, but about character." The consensus describes it as a return to form for David Cronenberg.
How it did with audiences
It cost $32 million and took in $61 million worldwide. That margin is thin enough to make accountants wince, but it is the kind of return that keeps a director’s next project alive. On TMDB, users rate it 7.2 out of 10. IMDb gives it a 7.4 out of 10 as of March 2026. Audiences liked it well enough to keep it in theaters.
What came next for the cast
Mortensen stepped into the Fellowship of the Ring before this, then walked the Road after. Harris traded the quiet intensity of A Beautiful Mind for the loud chaos of Top Gun: Maverick. William Hurt went from The Village to the Avengers, a jump that defies genre logic. The credits list these shifts, but they do not prove the film caused them. Sometimes a role just opens a door you did not know was there.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched A History of Violence.
Sources
- A History of Violence on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q300439 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “A History of Violence” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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