What is the iRankMovies score for Lawless?

Name: Lawless
Director: John Hillcoat
Genre: crime, drama, western
Released: 2012
Duration: 1 h 55 min
Rating: 7.2

Lawless has an iRankMovies score of 67.7/100, based on a weighted combination of IMDb (×3.0), Rotten Tomatoes (×2.0), Metacritic (×1.5), and TMDb (×1.0).

Lawless (2012)

When the law became corrupt, outlaws became heroes.

Release:2012

Runtime:1h 55m

Country:United States

Director:John Hillcoat

Language:English

Genre

CrimeDramaWestern

See the best crime movies →

Keywords

corruptionBased On Novel Or BookProhibition EraBrotherGangsterGreat DepressionAppalachiaBootlegging

iRank68

Lawless rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb7.2/10· 262K votes

Rotten Tomatoes67%

Metacritic58%

TMDb7.1/10· 3K votes

With 67% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 7.2/10 on IMDb and 58/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been mixed.

About Lawless

In 1931, the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Virginia, run a multipurpose backwoods establishment that hides their true business — bootlegging. Middle brother Forrest is the brain of the operation; older Howard is the brawn, and younger Jack, the lookout. Though the local police have taken bribes and left the brothers alone, a violent war erupts when a sadistic lawman from Chicago arrives and tries to shut down the Bondurants operation.

Cast of Lawless

Shia LaBeouf
as Jack Bondurant
Tom Hardy
as Forrest Bondurant
Gary Oldman
as Floyd Banner
Guy Pearce
as Charlie Rakes
Jason Clarke
as Howard Bondurant
Jessica Chastain
as Maggie Beauford
Mia Wasikowska
as Bertha Minnix
Dane DeHaan
as Cricket Pate
Lew Temple
as Deputy Henry Abshire
Chris McGarry
as Danny
T
Tim Tolin
as Mason Wardell
Marcus Hester
as Deputy Jeff Richards

Lawless facts

Budget: $26M
Box office: $55.4M

Our take on Lawless

John Hillcoat's 1931-set crime western follows the Bondurant brothers of Franklin County, Virginia, whose backwoods establishment fronts a thriving bootlegging trade. Forrest supplies the brains, Howard the muscle and young Jack the nerves, an arrangement that holds until a sadistic Chicago lawman arrives determined to break them. It's a muddy, period-textured story of loyalty and survival under Prohibition, drawn with a slow-burning menace rather than quick thrills. If you like Depression-era Americana, morally weathered characters and violence that carries weight, this rewards patience. Viewers wanting tidy heroes or brisk pacing may find its brooding tone heavy, but the atmosphere and family dynamics are its real draw.

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026Methodology Data sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

•Director crafts gritty period crime drama with authentic prohibition-era atmosphere
•Brother dynamics create compelling emotional core beyond surface-level violence
•Production design immerses viewers in 1930s Appalachian bootlegging underworld