A $214M true crime epic officially lands on Netflix, starring Christian Bale as an FBI agent
Dillinger and the FBI
Public Enemies tells the story of John Dillinger, whose bank raids made him a target of J. Edgar Hoover’s Bureau of Investigation. The outlaw’s escapes and public image also made him a folk hero to many Americans during the Great Depression.
Hoover saw Dillinger’s capture as a chance to elevate the Bureau into a national police force. He named Dillinger America’s first Public Enemy Number One and sent Melvin Purvis after him.
The cast and filmmakers
Johnny Depp plays Dillinger, and Christian Bale portrays Purvis. Marion Cotillard plays Dillinger’s girlfriend, Billie Frechette, while Billy Crudup appears as Hoover. Michael Mann directed the film. Its other cast members include Stephen Dorff as Homer Van Meter, Giovanni Ribisi as Alvin Karpis, Jason Clarke as Red Hamilton and David Wenham as Harry Pierpont.
Box office and reception
The film opened with approximately $25.3 million domestically over its three-day opening weekend. It later earned $97.1 million in North America and $117 million internationally, for a worldwide total of around $214.1 million.
Its reported production budget was $100 million. Public Enemies received a generally positive critical response, with a 68% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 59% audience score.
Key points
- Public Enemies is now streaming on Netflix.
- Johnny Depp stars as John Dillinger, with Christian Bale as Melvin Purvis.
- The film earned around $214.1 million worldwide against a reported $100 million budget.
- It has a 68% Rotten Tomatoes score and a 59% audience score.