Hangmen NYC Reviews and Tickets
Member Reviews (171)
See it if You want to be thoroughly entertained by a well written play with all top notch actors and an extraordinary set. Funny. Quirky. Smart.
Don't see it if You don’t like quirky stories filled with small town/local eccentrics to provide a backdrop of humor and a way to see yourself differently.
See it if you like a dark thriller with chills and laughs (McD's specialty). Strong ensemble; standout Flynn. Not many insights, but entertaining!
Don't see it if you require deep thinking. H'men is for the plot twists. Some jokes fall flat (some land). Wild characters. Heavy accents. Great set.
See it if Dark, dark satire that is so jarring, you can't help but laugh. Full of wit, humor and surprise. Great character acting. Huge standing O.
Don't see it if You won't like an extremely dark comedy with a serious theme. You can't enjoy detestable characters that serve the writer's purpose.
See it if you like McDonough's work, enjoy very dark humor, suspense & plots with red herrings, like discovering young actors, like Johnny Flynn
Don't see it if you have trouble with English accents, don't appreciate black humor, get anxious over suspense, not a fan of elaborate plot twists Read more
See it if you want to see a stellar ensemble cast (w/superb direction) pull off a clever, droll, intense, quirky British barroom comedy-drama-mystery.
Don't see it if you are not a fan of Martin McDonagh's off-putting dark humor and sinister, slightly menacing (but NOT creepy), yet endearing, characters.
See it if McDonagh in fine form w/period tale of ending capital punishment by hanging in Britain Favorite themes of retribution & redemption abound
Don't see it if Extremely well acted & staged despite some pacing issues in 2nd Act Tends to get a little too verbose (even for McDonagh) in mid-section
See it if you enjoy dark comedies, period pieces set in the ‘60s, or British accents. If you’re a Martin McDonagh fan, this is up your alley.
Don't see it if you’re uncomfortable watching simulated hangings. I didn’t think it was that bad, but the woman next to me audibly gasped.
See it if you'd be satisfied by a thriller that doesn't have much more going for it than a plot you can get invested in.
Don't see it if you want a show that isn't about much more than the characters in it to actually have a point of view on human nature.
Critic Reviews (42)
"Criminally enjoyable...And aren’t we happy that Mr. McDonagh, who of late has mostly been otherwise engaged with movies, has reclaimed his mantle as the great deceiver of contemporary theater?...Directed with gleaming precision and grinning relish by Matthew Dunster...A happy-creepy reminder that Mr. McDonagh can still work his double-edged, sinister magic on a stage, making breathless, alarmed, and deeply satisfied dupes of us all."
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"Fans of the Irish-English auteur will be reminded of the qualities that make his work pop. Nasty humor twines with sadism...Rather than pushing that potential into new territory, he falls into comfy conventions that he winks at, but which also function as excuses for a thin and implausible story. Dunster’s production adds to the sense of artifice, with lurching shifts of mood-lighting and a physical space that works directly against the attempted comic suspense of the play’s denouement."
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"Once again under the assured direction of Matthew Dunster, the play is right on brand for its author: sly, plot driven, and morbidly funny, with a masterly ear for regional voices and an array of plum parts for actors. While more deliberate and less full-on explosive than some of McDonagh’s earlier work, 'Hangmen' still taps into the undeniable satisfactions of clever plotting and strong character work."
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"A delectably dark comedy about injustice, revenge and man's instinct for violence, state-sanctioned or otherwise...Those bristling themes make this expertly crafted play a lively companion piece to McDonagh's 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri...McDonagh is back in top form here...If the later plotting becomes less precise, the dialogue crackles, the running jokes are devilishly good, and the characters are incisively drawn, providing choice fodder for an electric ensemble."
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"Under the fastidious direction of Matthew Dunster, the ensemble work is slickly well-oiled in the best tradition of barroom plays...Despite the howling laughter earned at the expense of these northern bumpkins and their semi-literate discourse, there’s a black storm cloud behind McDonagh’s surface wit...It’s a treat to watch these antagonists, played with excruciating edginess by Addy and Flynn, circling one another with murder in their eyes."
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"A galvanizingly black farce...A deadly serious play that is also chokingly funny...Glitteringly well-staged...Not since Robert Mitchum slithered onto the screen in 'Cape Fear' has there been a villain (if that’s what he is) quite so charismatically repellent as Mooney...McDonagh wants you to think, and it is his genius to do so by first making you laugh yourself silly. 'Hangmen' succeeds triumphantly on both counts."
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"McDonah is in comfort zone with his thoroughly entertaining but not completely airtight play 'Hangmen'...Flynn enthralls even when the script fails to make a case for some of his illogical actions...Under the direction of Mattnew Dunster, the whole ensemble is killer...There have been better McDonagh plays in New York...But 'Hangmen' comes out swinging and despite questions that arise about why some characters do what they do, the play ropes you in."
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"Martin McDonagh’s old-fashioned, engrossing and extremely entertaining new play...'Hangmen' is unquestionably one of the most exciting Off-Broadway productions of the season...This is a meticulously-plotted work containing interesting, well-developed characters and built upon elements of black comedy, pub drama, physical farce, whodunit mystery, action thriller, and legal drama...Finds the ideal balance between roaring entertainment and grim uneasiness."
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