Lawless (2012)
Bootlegging brothers fight a sadistic lawman in a gritty, atmospheric tale of Prohibition-era Virginia.
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.
How intense is Lawless?
Lawless is mildly scary, with graphic gore and brutal violence. Emotionally it is heavy. The pace is measured, and it is a full-attention watch. Rated R.
What Lawless feels like
- Tone
- grittypulpyatmospheric
- Pace
- Measured
- Best for
- Full attention
- True story
- Yes, based on a book.
Where to stream Lawless
US availability via TMDB, last checked Sep 14, 2026. The app filters picks to the services you actually have.
Is Lawless for you?
Is Lawless scary?
Only a little. Lawless has a few tense moments (scare level 1 of 3), nothing that follows you to bed.
Is Lawless gory or violent?
Graphic gore (2 of 3) and brutal violence (3 of 3). If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.
Is Lawless sad or heavy?
It is emotionally heavy (2 of 3). Expect it to land.
Is Lawless OK for kids?
It is rated R, so it is made for adults. Intensity: scare 1, gore 2, violence 3, each out of 3.
How long is Lawless?
Lawless runs 1h 55m.
Where can I stream Lawless?
Lawless is streaming on Kanopy.
Does Lawless have a happy ending? spoiler-safe answer
Bittersweet. It earns its ending, but not everyone gets what they want.
Cast and crew
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