Killing Emmett Young (2002): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2002, Killing Emmett Young is an action, thriller, drama and crime film directed by Keith Snyder, running about 104 minutes. “In order to avoid the debilitating effects of a terminal illness, a young detective orders a hit on himself.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. In the Philadelphia police department, Emmett Young is a hotshot, a workaholic newly promoted to homicide. He learns he has a disease that will soon kill him painfully, so he hires a stranger to arrange his own death. With one eye on the calendar (he's allowed a few days' grace before his murder), he pursues a final case, the serial killing of young women. Emmett develops a profile of the assailant. Meanwhile, his fixer hires an ex-cop to kill Emmett, a lonely security guard whom the fixer taunts and belittles. In this limited time, can Emmett sort out what's important?

Who’s in it. Killing Emmett Young stars Scott Wolf as Emmett Young, Gabriel Byrne as Jack Marlow / Stephen Bracken, Tim Roth as John Harrett / Frank Dwyer and Greg Wood as Dr. Dan Kilbannon, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 5.4/10, Killing Emmett Young has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Killing Emmett Young page.

If you liked it. Fans of Killing Emmett Young tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.