From Dusk till Dawn (1996)

Quentin Tarantino cast himself as the creepiest character in his own script, and Richie Gecko drags down every scene he’s in. George Clooney is the real find, cool and sharp in a black suit, a bank robber with a strict code about keeping his word. Harvey Keitel gives the movie its conscience as a tired pastor trying to keep his kids calm while two criminals ride in his motor home. The first hour is a tense, talky crime road trip. Then the gang reaches a bar at the border, and the movie takes a hard left turn that’s staying in the spoiler box. It’s a blast at first, then it becomes one long, loud brawl that forgets the people it spent an hour building. Critics gave it a 48 on Metacritic; audiences were kinder. A 6.4 because Clooney and Keitel make the trip worth it even when the movie loses the map. $132.76 says you pull into the next roadside diner on a long drive, look around twice and order to go.

What works: George Clooney is magnetic as Seth, and Harvey Keitel gives the movie real heart as a pastor who has lost his faith.

What doesn’t: Richie is unpleasant and on screen way too much, and the final stretch turns into a long, loud brawl.

Who it’s for: People who want a midnight movie that starts as a crime story and takes a hard left turn halfway through.