The Devil Has a Name | Rotten Tomatoes

The Devil Has a Name

R

Released Oct 16, 2020

1 hr. 37 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

35%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

38%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

An ambitious oil executive leaves the whole industry exposed when she tries to outwit a recently widowed farmer whose land has been poisoned.

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Critics Consensus

The Devil Has a Name, but it's lost in this muddled attempt at a message movie that's smothered under its own heavy hand.

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Jamie S

I don't understand why this movie has such low ratings. This movie was actually really good. I usually can't stay engaged in legal drama, but the comedic moments in the movie kept me engaged in this one. The actors were really good. I really enjoyed Haley Joel Osment and Kate Bosworth's performances.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/20/23

Full Review

Dave C

It's unbelievably messy! Its transitions are too chaotic for the writing to hold up, and the writing is convoluted to say the least, so it'd be hard work regardless. A shame, because at its core lies a pretty big issue… it just gets stuck in its own gloopy waste product

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Acting was good but every direction they were going for seemed half assed . Dark comedy ? No laughs . Corruption and greed movie ? No one seemed that involved or we weren’t given enough backstory or a reason to care … 2.5

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Generalmente, quando si entra nel genere legato al dramma giudiziario, la qualità dei film è molto alta e così come l'apprezzamento che generano, sicuramente facilitati da storie vere emozionanti e piene di dettagli da raccontare. Purtroppo questo film delude sotto tutti i punti di vista; la trama è raccontata in modo raffazzonato e poco dettagliato, i personaggi sono stilizzati, piatti nei loro modi esagerati e nei loro comportamenti teatrali. In alcuni passaggi la trama è anche poco chiara; alcuni personaggi poi sono utilizzati come oggetti, pur restando bizzarri nei comportamenti, non viene raccontato nulla della loro storia.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Ken R

The Devil Has A Name – Net Present Value! Since seeing Edward James Olmos in ‘Stand and Deliver' way back I was impressed, so looked forward to seeing him in a movie which he co-produced/directed, and performed. To add to the interest it was claimed to be based on an actual event – the contamination of farmland by an Oil giant. Played straight this would have had promise but it seems green activist politics got involved and dragged it down a somewhat over-baked, foolish path. Yes, giant multinationals have been guilty of irresponsible short-cuts, often brought about through greed and they must be held to account ensuring more ecological responsibility. The writer added another downer by including a vicious gangster whose repugnant over-the-top actions are the equivalent of a hideously brutal Gestapo Mafioso type - this pushes the story way out of reasonable acceptability and degrades much of the initial interest being offered. I'm not sure Kate Bosworth was fully convincing as she should have been playing the slimy Oil company representative and the company's headman was made to look like a caricature. If this was intended as black comedy it did not work whatsoever. As the downtrodden farmer, David Strathairn was good as always, as was Olmos as his co-worker – production values were overall OK but even though the moral situations were well-intended, the overly forced agenda-pushing script weakens any worthwhile message. Pity, as we need movies that bring important messages to the screen but in a more honest manner, this is no ‘Dark Waters'. Parental Note; Heavy vulgar dialogue, violence, and grotty sexual situation. Foxtel Aust ran this American R certificate as an M, when will they get it right?

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/22

Full Review

jeffrey r

Inventive and unorthodox dark comedy that nearly hits the mark, but should be applauded for trying...

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Edward James Olmos

Director

David Strathairn

Actor

Kate Bosworth

Actor

Edward James Olmos

Santiago

Katie Aselton

Actor

Haley Joel Osment

Actor

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Peter Debruge

Variety

The whole movie starts to feel like a tornado touched down in the editing room.

Oct 19, 2020

Full Review

Richard Roeper

Chicago Sun-Times

[The Devil Has a Name] is not your average legal thriller... with an eclectic mix of actors playing the heroes and villains, most of them peculiar in some way.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 19, 2020

Full Review

Glenn Kenny

RogerEbert.com

An angry movie that's angry about the right things. But it's so angry that it gets a little crazy about it.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 16, 2020

Full Review

Cris Kennedy

The Canberra Times (Australia)

Olmos's direction of his performers is strong and the work of cinematographer Reynaldo Villalobos makes the film's Bakersfield locations look spectacular.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

Sarah Ward

Concrete Playground

When any combination of Strathairn, Olmos and Sheen share the screen, it's easy to see how The Devil Has a Name would've worked without its soapy, over-the-top quirks - but that's not the movie that Olmos has made, sadly.

May 3, 2021

Full Review

Joey Magidson

Hollywood News

The Devil Has a Name is an imperfect attempt at a satirical dramedy.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 19, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

An ambitious oil executive leaves the whole industry exposed when she tries to outwit a recently widowed farmer whose land has been poisoned.

Director: Edward James Olmos
Executive Producer: David Gendron, Ali Jazayeri, Bobbi Sue Luther, Chris Ranta, David Segel, Elisabeth Costa De Beauregard, Philip Kim, Carol Kroeker, Jay Kroeker, Lawrence Starrh
Screenwriter: Robert McEveety
Distributor: Momentum Pictures
Production Co: StoryBoard Media, True Navigator Media
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Brief Violence|Some Sexual Material)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 16, 2020

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