Emotion, Violence, and Just Enough Soul

Read Time:6 Minute, 43 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (4KUHD)
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Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller, Dark Comedy
Year Released: 1995, Kino Lorber 4K 2025
Runtime: 1h 56m
Director(s): Gary Fleder
Writer(s): Scott Rosenberg
Cast: Andy Garcia, Christopher Walken, Christopher Lloyd, Gabrielle Anwar, Treat Williams, Steve Buscemi, Bill Nunn, William Forsythe, Glenn Plummer, Fairuza Balk, Bill Cobbs, Don Stark
Where to Watch: Available April 29, 2025, pre-order your copy here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: There’s a strange pull to a movie that dares to feel bigger than the parts it puts on screen. THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD seems certain it's tapping into something meaningful—tragic, stylish, maybe even poetic—but that confidence ends up at odds with the film’s execution. With its brooding aesthetic and eclectic ensemble, it lays out the pieces of a memorable crime saga, but the pieces don’t always snap together the way they should. There's enough going on to keep you engaged, but it never quite rises to the level it seems to be aiming for.

It helps that the movie looks the part. Director Gary Fleder leans into moody lighting and a distinct noir flavor, and Elliot Davis’s cinematography brings out the weight of every smoke-filled room and empty street corner. This is the kind of world where danger simmers just under the surface, even in moments of silence. Paired with a soundtrack that dips into blues and Americana staples, the atmosphere hits the right notes for late-night existential dread. The mood is here in spades—but mood alone doesn’t carry a plot.

At the center of it all is Jimmy “The Saint,” played by Andy Garcia, a man caught between the ghosts of his past and the slim hope of a cleaner future. He runs a business recording farewell messages for terminally ill clients—a strangely tender gig. Garcia gives the role just enough restraint to make Jimmy feel like a guy trying to stay grounded while his world tilts sideways.

That becomes more obvious once the story asks Jimmy to do “one last job,” a setup that immediately signals things won’t go smoothly. To pull it off, he assembles a crew of former associates—each stranger than the last. This is where the film begins to shift from a stylized crime drama into something more cartoonish in tone. Treat Williams’s Critical Bill is an over-the-top ball of rage, while Steve Buscemi’s Mr. Shhh barely registers as a presence. They’re interesting on paper, but their personalities clash more than they complement. It’s hard to buy them as a team, and it's even harder to invest when their dynamic never quite clicks.

Then there’s Christopher Walken, who commands attention. As “The Man With The Plan,” he plays the film’s shadowy figure of authority, and Walken's delivery alone gives him an air of menace. But like many parts of the movie, the character feels more like a concept than a fully developed figure. He looms, he threatens, he sets things in motion—but the film never digs into what drives him. He becomes just another part of the backdrop when he could have anchored the story in something more compelling.

The script’s approach to dialogue is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s got a tempo that stands out—gritty, philosophical musings, and enough attitude to power a streetlight. On the other hand, it often feels like it’s reaching too hard for cool. Lines that are meant to hit like bullets sometimes land like bumper stickers. There are moments where the dialogue works—where it reveals character or hints at something deeper—but just as often, it distracts from the story’s emotional stakes.

There’s something likable in the way the movie wears its heart on its sleeve. It doesn’t hide the fact that it wants to matter—that it’s reaching for something more than bullets and bravado. And while it misses more than it hits, the ambition counts for something. You can feel the desire to make each scene resonate, even when the execution doesn’t deliver. It’s a film that swings for a message about honor, redemption, and what we owe each other at the end, but its emotional punches rarely land square.

The problem isn’t effort—it’s focus. THINGS TO DO IN DENVER WHEN YOU'RE DEAD seems caught between competing impulses: to be gritty and poetic, sharp and sentimental. However, those elements continue to pull against each other instead of blending. The movie knows the notes it wants to hit, but it plays them in a way that feels just slightly off.

There’s value in the performances, especially Garcia’s steadiness and Walken’s quiet threat. The cinematography carries weight. The mood lingers. And for all its missteps, the film doesn’t feel lazy or cynical. It just needed tighter writing, clearer character development, and a better sense of when to pull back and when to push forward.

It ultimately becomes the kind of movie you can appreciate without fully embracing. It offers pieces of something better—a tone, a moment, a character beat that works—but those pieces never form a complete picture. There’s a good movie in here somewhere, hidden behind the bluster and smoke. Whether or not that’s enough depends on how much slack you're willing to give.

Product Extras:
DISC 1 (4 KUHD):
Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
NEW Audio Commentary by Director Gary Fleder and Writer Scott Rosenberg
NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Daniel Kremer
5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
Optional English Subtitles

DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
NEW Audio Commentary by Director Gary Fleder and Writer Scott Rosenberg
NEW Audio Commentary by Filmmaker/Historian Daniel Kremer
Things to Direct in Denver When You're Dead: Interview with Director Gary Fleder (17:42)
Things to Perform in Denver When You're Dead: Interview with Actor Andy Garcia (19:21)
Things to Write in Denver When You're Dead: Interview with Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg (16:00)
Things to Design in Denver When You're Dead: Interview with designer Nelson Coates (23:21)
Production Featurette
Theatrical Trailer
5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
Optional English Subtitles

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER]

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