The Act of Killing (2013)
| Theatrical Performance | ||
| Domestic Box Office | $486,919 | Details |
| International Box Office | $740,397 | Details |
| Worldwide Box Office | $1,227,316 | |
| Domestic Physical Disc Sales | ||
| DVD Sales (estimated) | $1,074,084 | |
| Blu-ray Sales (estimated) | $334,239 | |
| Total | $1,408,323 | |
| OpusData ID: 191420100 More info... | ||
| Further financial details... | ||
Synopsis
This chilling and inventive documentary examines a country where death squad leaders are celebrated as heroes, challenging them to reenact their real-life mass-killings in the style of the American movies they love. When the Indonesian government was overthrown in 1965, small-time gangster Anwar Congo and his friends went from selling movie tickets on the black market to leading anti-communist death squads in the mass murder of over a million people. Anwar boasts of killing hundreds with his own hands, but he's lived in his country with impunity ever since. When approached to make a film about their role in the genocide, Anwar and his friends eagerly comply-but their idea of being in a movie is not to provide reflective testimony, but to dance their way through musical numbers, twist arms in film noir gangster scenes, and gallop across the prairies as yodeling cowboys. A cinematic fever dream, The Act of Killing presents a gripping conflict between moral imagination and moral catastrophe.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $27,450 (5.6% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 9.69 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 39.7% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $1,000,000 (worldwide box office is 1.2 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 1 opening theaters/29 max. theaters, 7.5 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $716,105 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | July 19th, 2013 (Limited) by Drafthouse Films |
| International Releases: | April 10th, 2013 (Wide) (France)
November 14th, 2013 (Wide) (Germany) November 20th, 2014 (Limited) (South Korea) February 11th, 2016 (Wide) (Thailand) July 27th, 2023 (Limited) (South Korea) ... Show all releases |
| Video Release: | January 7th, 2014 by New Video Group |
| MPA Rating: | Not Rated |
| Running Time: | 115 minutes |
| Franchise: | The Act of Killing |
| Plot point: | Cross-Dressing, Genocide, Government Corruption, Performing Arts, Political, War Crimes |
| Source: | Based on Real Life Events |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Factual |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Final Cut For Real, Spring Films LTD, Media Programme of the European Union |
| Production Countries: | Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2013 | 49 | $27,450 | 1 | $27,450 | $27,450 | 1 | |
| Jul 26, 2013 | 45 | $41,671 | +52% | 3 | $13,890 | $84,015 | 2 |
| Aug 2, 2013 | 45 | $50,240 | +21% | 17 | $2,955 | $159,621 | 3 |
| Aug 9, 2013 | 49 | $38,537 | -23% | 26 | $1,482 | $239,259 | 4 |
| Aug 16, 2013 | 45 | $44,250 | +15% | 29 | $1,526 | $312,240 | 5 |
| Aug 23, 2013 | 61 | $12,787 | -71% | 15 | $852 | $354,242 | 6 |
| Aug 30, 2013 | 65 | $9,732 | -24% | 15 | $649 | $375,876 | 7 |
| Sep 6, 2013 | 88 | $4,894 | -50% | 13 | $376 | $391,532 | 8 |
| Sep 13, 2013 | 58 | $22,468 | +359% | 19 | $1,183 | $419,939 | 9 |
| Sep 20, 2013 | 91 | $2,185 | -90% | 11 | $199 | $431,835 | 10 |
| Sep 27, 2013 | 91 | $2,216 | +1% | 10 | $222 | $438,055 | 11 |
| Oct 4, 2013 | 108 | $443 | -80% | 4 | $111 | $441,205 | 12 |
| Oct 11, 2013 | 98 | $441 | n/c | 4 | $110 | $443,203 | 13 |
| Oct 18, 2013 | 111 | $517 | +17% | 2 | $259 | $445,092 | 14 |
| Oct 25, 2013 | 96 | $64 | -88% | 1 | $64 | $446,179 | 15 |
| Nov 8, 2013 | 85 | $1,315 | 2 | $658 | $447,494 | 17 | |
| Nov 15, 2013 | 70 | $2,313 | +76% | 2 | $1,157 | $449,918 | 18 |
| Nov 22, 2013 | 85 | $637 | -72% | 2 | $319 | $450,827 | 19 |
| Nov 29, 2013 | 80 | $324 | -49% | 1 | $324 | $451,157 | 20 |
| Jan 3, 2014 | 64 | $1,945 | 4 | $486 | $461,777 | 25 | |
| Jan 10, 2014 | 66 | $893 | -54% | 4 | $223 | $464,518 | 26 |
| Jan 17, 2014 | 65 | $945 | +6% | 2 | $473 | $465,682 | 27 |
| Jan 24, 2014 | 64 | $575 | -39% | 1 | $575 | $469,214 | 28 |
| Jan 31, 2014 | 80 | $971 | +69% | 3 | $324 | $473,457 | 29 |
| Feb 7, 2014 | 58 | $3,612 | +272% | 20 | $181 | $479,581 | 30 |
| Feb 14, 2014 | 75 | $1,657 | -54% | 2 | $829 | $482,713 | 31 |
| Feb 21, 2014 | 84 | $867 | -48% | 3 | $289 | $483,863 | 32 |
| Feb 28, 2014 | 93 | $57 | -93% | 1 | $57 | $484,221 | 33 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2013 | 48 | $42,344 | 2 | $21,172 | $42,344 | 1 | |
| Jul 26, 2013 | 45 | $67,037 | +58% | 4 | $16,759 | $109,381 | 2 |
| Aug 2, 2013 | 47 | $91,341 | +36% | 19 | $4,807 | $200,722 | 3 |
| Aug 9, 2013 | 50 | $67,268 | -26% | 26 | $2,587 | $267,990 | 4 |
| Aug 16, 2013 | 43 | $73,465 | +9% | 29 | $2,533 | $341,455 | 5 |
| Aug 23, 2013 | 58 | $24,689 | -66% | 17 | $1,452 | $366,144 | 6 |
| Aug 30, 2013 | 63 | $20,494 | -17% | 16 | $1,281 | $386,638 | 7 |
| Sep 6, 2013 | 69 | $10,833 | -47% | 16 | $677 | $397,471 | 8 |
| Sep 13, 2013 | - | $32,179 | +197% | 21 | $1,532 | $429,650 | 9 |
| Sep 20, 2013 | 77 | $6,189 | -81% | 14 | $442 | $435,839 | 10 |
| Sep 27, 2013 | 81 | $4,923 | -20% | 12 | $410 | $440,762 | 11 |
| Oct 4, 2013 | 102 | $1,251 | -75% | 6 | $209 | $442,762 | 12 |
| Oct 11, 2013 | 101 | $1,813 | +45% | 4 | $453 | $444,575 | 13 |
| Oct 18, 2013 | 83 | $1,540 | -15% | 3 | $513 | $446,115 | 14 |
| Nov 8, 2013 | 74 | $1,425 | 2 | $713 | $447,604 | 17 | |
| Nov 15, 2013 | 70 | $2,586 | +81% | 2 | $1,293 | $450,190 | 18 |
| Nov 22, 2013 | 83 | $643 | -75% | 2 | $322 | $450,833 | 19 |
| Nov 29, 2013 | 76 | $642 | n/c | 2 | $321 | $451,475 | 20 |
| Dec 6, 2013 | 54 | $5,415 | +743% | 5 | $1,083 | $456,890 | 21 |
| Dec 13, 2013 | 68 | $1,058 | -80% | 2 | $529 | $457,948 | 22 |
| Dec 27, 2013 | 60 | $1,113 | 2 | $557 | $459,061 | 24 | |
| Jan 3, 2014 | 58 | $3,793 | +241% | 6 | $632 | $463,625 | 25 |
| Jan 10, 2014 | 62 | $1,112 | -71% | 4 | $278 | $464,737 | 26 |
| Jan 17, 2014 | 55 | $3,902 | +251% | 3 | $1,301 | $468,639 | 27 |
| Jan 24, 2014 | 58 | $3,847 | -1% | 5 | $769 | $472,486 | 28 |
| Jan 31, 2014 | 62 | $3,483 | -9% | 4 | $871 | $475,969 | 29 |
| Feb 7, 2014 | 59 | $5,087 | +46% | 22 | $231 | $481,056 | 30 |
| Feb 14, 2014 | 73 | $1,940 | -62% | 4 | $485 | $482,996 | 31 |
| Feb 21, 2014 | 85 | $1,168 | -40% | 4 | $292 | $484,164 | 32 |
| Feb 28, 2014 | 82 | $1,120 | -4% | 1 | $1,120 | $485,284 | 33 |
| Mar 7, 2014 | 88 | $1,438 | +28% | 5 | $288 | $486,722 | 34 |
| Mar 14, 2014 | 85 | $198 | -86% | 2 | $99 | $486,919 | 35 |
Top International Territories
Box Office Summary Per Territory
| Territory | Release Date |
Opening Weekend |
Opening Weekend Screens/Theaters |
Maximum Screens/Theaters |
Theatrical Engagements |
Total Box Office |
Report Date |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 4/10/2013 | $10,320 | 3 | 3 | 3 | $10,320 | 12/14/2015 | |||
| Germany | 11/14/2013 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | $440 | 10/20/2015 | |||
| South Korea | 11/20/2014 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $54,826 | 8/2/2023 | |||
| Thailand | 2/11/2016 | $2,107 | 2 | 2 | 3 | $3,610 | 6/9/2016 | |||
| Rest of World | $671,201 | |||||||||
| International Total | $740,397 | 8/2/2023 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Documentary Subject
| Anwar Congo | Himself | |
| Herman Koto | Himself | |
| Ibrahim Sinik | Himself | |
| Sakhyan Asmara | Himself | |
| Adi Zulkadry | Himself | |
| Safit Pardede | Himself |
Production and Technical Credits
| Joshua Oppenheimer | Director | |
| Signe Byrge Sorensen | Producer | |
| Jorem ten Brink | Producer | |
| Anne Kohncke | Producer | |
| Michael Uwemedimo | Producer | |
| Joshua Oppenheimer | Producer | |
| Christine Cynn | Producer | |
| Werner Herzog | Executive Producer | |
| Errol Morris | Executive Producer | |
| Niels Pagh Andersen | Editor | |
| Janus Billeskov Jansen | Editor | |
| Mariko Montpetit | Editor | |
| Charlotte Munch Bengtsen | Editor | |
| Ariadna Fatjo-Vilas Mestre | Editor | |
| Elin Oyen Vister | Composer | |
| Carlos Mariano Arango de Montis | Director of Photography |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.
Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.
Synopsis
This chilling and inventive documentary examines a country where death squad leaders are celebrated as heroes, challenging them to reenact their real-life mass-killings in the style of the American movies they love. When the Indonesian government was overthrown in 1965, small-time gangster Anwar Congo and his friends went from selling movie tickets on the black market to leading anti-communist death squads in the mass murder of over a million people. Anwar boasts of killing hundreds with his own hands, but he's lived in his country with impunity ever since. When approached to make a film about their role in the genocide, Anwar and his friends eagerly comply-but their idea of being in a movie is not to provide reflective testimony, but to dance their way through musical numbers, twist arms in film noir gangster scenes, and gallop across the prairies as yodeling cowboys. A cinematic fever dream, The Act of Killing presents a gripping conflict between moral imagination and moral catastrophe.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $27,450 (5.6% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 9.69 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 39.7% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Production Budget: | $1,000,000 (worldwide box office is 1.2 times production budget) |
| Theater counts: | 1 opening theaters/29 max. theaters, 7.5 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $716,105 |
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | July 19th, 2013 (Limited) by Drafthouse Films |
| International Releases: | April 10th, 2013 (Wide) (France)
November 14th, 2013 (Wide) (Germany) November 20th, 2014 (Limited) (South Korea) February 11th, 2016 (Wide) (Thailand) July 27th, 2023 (Limited) (South Korea) ... Show all releases |
| Video Release: | January 7th, 2014 by New Video Group |
| MPA Rating: | Not Rated |
| Running Time: | 115 minutes |
| Franchise: | The Act of Killing |
| Plot point: | Cross-Dressing, Genocide, Government Corruption, Performing Arts, Political, War Crimes |
| Source: | Based on Real Life Events |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Factual |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Final Cut For Real, Spring Films LTD, Media Programme of the European Union |
| Production Countries: | Denmark, Norway, United Kingdom |
| Languages: | English |
Weekend Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2013 | 49 | $27,450 | 1 | $27,450 | $27,450 | 1 | |
| Jul 26, 2013 | 45 | $41,671 | +52% | 3 | $13,890 | $84,015 | 2 |
| Aug 2, 2013 | 45 | $50,240 | +21% | 17 | $2,955 | $159,621 | 3 |
| Aug 9, 2013 | 49 | $38,537 | -23% | 26 | $1,482 | $239,259 | 4 |
| Aug 16, 2013 | 45 | $44,250 | +15% | 29 | $1,526 | $312,240 | 5 |
| Aug 23, 2013 | 61 | $12,787 | -71% | 15 | $852 | $354,242 | 6 |
| Aug 30, 2013 | 65 | $9,732 | -24% | 15 | $649 | $375,876 | 7 |
| Sep 6, 2013 | 88 | $4,894 | -50% | 13 | $376 | $391,532 | 8 |
| Sep 13, 2013 | 58 | $22,468 | +359% | 19 | $1,183 | $419,939 | 9 |
| Sep 20, 2013 | 91 | $2,185 | -90% | 11 | $199 | $431,835 | 10 |
| Sep 27, 2013 | 91 | $2,216 | +1% | 10 | $222 | $438,055 | 11 |
| Oct 4, 2013 | 108 | $443 | -80% | 4 | $111 | $441,205 | 12 |
| Oct 11, 2013 | 98 | $441 | n/c | 4 | $110 | $443,203 | 13 |
| Oct 18, 2013 | 111 | $517 | +17% | 2 | $259 | $445,092 | 14 |
| Oct 25, 2013 | 96 | $64 | -88% | 1 | $64 | $446,179 | 15 |
| Nov 8, 2013 | 85 | $1,315 | 2 | $658 | $447,494 | 17 | |
| Nov 15, 2013 | 70 | $2,313 | +76% | 2 | $1,157 | $449,918 | 18 |
| Nov 22, 2013 | 85 | $637 | -72% | 2 | $319 | $450,827 | 19 |
| Nov 29, 2013 | 80 | $324 | -49% | 1 | $324 | $451,157 | 20 |
| Jan 3, 2014 | 64 | $1,945 | 4 | $486 | $461,777 | 25 | |
| Jan 10, 2014 | 66 | $893 | -54% | 4 | $223 | $464,518 | 26 |
| Jan 17, 2014 | 65 | $945 | +6% | 2 | $473 | $465,682 | 27 |
| Jan 24, 2014 | 64 | $575 | -39% | 1 | $575 | $469,214 | 28 |
| Jan 31, 2014 | 80 | $971 | +69% | 3 | $324 | $473,457 | 29 |
| Feb 7, 2014 | 58 | $3,612 | +272% | 20 | $181 | $479,581 | 30 |
| Feb 14, 2014 | 75 | $1,657 | -54% | 2 | $829 | $482,713 | 31 |
| Feb 21, 2014 | 84 | $867 | -48% | 3 | $289 | $483,863 | 32 |
| Feb 28, 2014 | 93 | $57 | -93% | 1 | $57 | $484,221 | 33 |
Weekly Box Office Performance
| Date | Rank | Gross | % Change | Theaters | Per Theater | Total Gross | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 19, 2013 | 48 | $42,344 | 2 | $21,172 | $42,344 | 1 | |
| Jul 26, 2013 | 45 | $67,037 | +58% | 4 | $16,759 | $109,381 | 2 |
| Aug 2, 2013 | 47 | $91,341 | +36% | 19 | $4,807 | $200,722 | 3 |
| Aug 9, 2013 | 50 | $67,268 | -26% | 26 | $2,587 | $267,990 | 4 |
| Aug 16, 2013 | 43 | $73,465 | +9% | 29 | $2,533 | $341,455 | 5 |
| Aug 23, 2013 | 58 | $24,689 | -66% | 17 | $1,452 | $366,144 | 6 |
| Aug 30, 2013 | 63 | $20,494 | -17% | 16 | $1,281 | $386,638 | 7 |
| Sep 6, 2013 | 69 | $10,833 | -47% | 16 | $677 | $397,471 | 8 |
| Sep 13, 2013 | - | $32,179 | +197% | 21 | $1,532 | $429,650 | 9 |
| Sep 20, 2013 | 77 | $6,189 | -81% | 14 | $442 | $435,839 | 10 |
| Sep 27, 2013 | 81 | $4,923 | -20% | 12 | $410 | $440,762 | 11 |
| Oct 4, 2013 | 102 | $1,251 | -75% | 6 | $209 | $442,762 | 12 |
| Oct 11, 2013 | 101 | $1,813 | +45% | 4 | $453 | $444,575 | 13 |
| Oct 18, 2013 | 83 | $1,540 | -15% | 3 | $513 | $446,115 | 14 |
| Nov 8, 2013 | 74 | $1,425 | 2 | $713 | $447,604 | 17 | |
| Nov 15, 2013 | 70 | $2,586 | +81% | 2 | $1,293 | $450,190 | 18 |
| Nov 22, 2013 | 83 | $643 | -75% | 2 | $322 | $450,833 | 19 |
| Nov 29, 2013 | 76 | $642 | n/c | 2 | $321 | $451,475 | 20 |
| Dec 6, 2013 | 54 | $5,415 | +743% | 5 | $1,083 | $456,890 | 21 |
| Dec 13, 2013 | 68 | $1,058 | -80% | 2 | $529 | $457,948 | 22 |
| Dec 27, 2013 | 60 | $1,113 | 2 | $557 | $459,061 | 24 | |
| Jan 3, 2014 | 58 | $3,793 | +241% | 6 | $632 | $463,625 | 25 |
| Jan 10, 2014 | 62 | $1,112 | -71% | 4 | $278 | $464,737 | 26 |
| Jan 17, 2014 | 55 | $3,902 | +251% | 3 | $1,301 | $468,639 | 27 |
| Jan 24, 2014 | 58 | $3,847 | -1% | 5 | $769 | $472,486 | 28 |
| Jan 31, 2014 | 62 | $3,483 | -9% | 4 | $871 | $475,969 | 29 |
| Feb 7, 2014 | 59 | $5,087 | +46% | 22 | $231 | $481,056 | 30 |
| Feb 14, 2014 | 73 | $1,940 | -62% | 4 | $485 | $482,996 | 31 |
| Feb 21, 2014 | 85 | $1,168 | -40% | 4 | $292 | $484,164 | 32 |
| Feb 28, 2014 | 82 | $1,120 | -4% | 1 | $1,120 | $485,284 | 33 |
| Mar 7, 2014 | 88 | $1,438 | +28% | 5 | $288 | $486,722 | 34 |
| Mar 14, 2014 | 85 | $198 | -86% | 2 | $99 | $486,919 | 35 |
Top International Territories
Box Office Summary Per Territory
| Territory | Release Date |
Opening Weekend |
Opening Weekend Screens/Theaters |
Maximum Screens/Theaters |
Theatrical Engagements |
Total Box Office |
Report Date |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | 4/10/2013 | $10,320 | 3 | 3 | 3 | $10,320 | 12/14/2015 | |||
| Germany | 11/14/2013 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | $440 | 10/20/2015 | |||
| South Korea | 11/20/2014 | $0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | $54,826 | 8/2/2023 | |||
| Thailand | 2/11/2016 | $2,107 | 2 | 2 | 3 | $3,610 | 6/9/2016 | |||
| Rest of World | $671,201 | |||||||||
| International Total | $740,397 | 8/2/2023 | ||||||||
Note: Territories vary in whether they report screens or theaters. Full details on international box office data are available via our OpusData service.
Documentary Subject
| Anwar Congo | Himself | |
| Herman Koto | Himself | |
| Ibrahim Sinik | Himself | |
| Sakhyan Asmara | Himself | |
| Adi Zulkadry | Himself | |
| Safit Pardede | Himself |
Production and Technical Credits
| Joshua Oppenheimer | Director | |
| Signe Byrge Sorensen | Producer | |
| Jorem ten Brink | Producer | |
| Anne Kohncke | Producer | |
| Michael Uwemedimo | Producer | |
| Joshua Oppenheimer | Producer | |
| Christine Cynn | Producer | |
| Werner Herzog | Executive Producer | |
| Errol Morris | Executive Producer | |
| Niels Pagh Andersen | Editor | |
| Janus Billeskov Jansen | Editor | |
| Mariko Montpetit | Editor | |
| Charlotte Munch Bengtsen | Editor | |
| Ariadna Fatjo-Vilas Mestre | Editor | |
| Elin Oyen Vister | Composer | |
| Carlos Mariano Arango de Montis | Director of Photography |
Cast and crew with above-the-line roles are marked in bold. The line marks the division between above-the-line and below-the-line roles.
Full financial estimates for this film, including domestic and international box office, video sales, video rentals, TV and ancillary revenue are available through our research services. For more information, please contact us at research@the-numbers.com.