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Truth or Consequences, N.M.

Truth or Consequences, N.M.

Life's harsh. Why behave?

1997106 minRMidcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
Director
Kiefer Sutherland
Starring
Vincent Gallo, Kiefer Sutherland, Max Perlich, Rod Steiger

Raymond Lembecke is a con just out of prison after serving time for selling drugs for his mob boss Tony Vago. (Lembecke was innocent and took the rap for Vago.) Lembecke thinks Vago owes him big time so, when his former boss gets him a measly job in a warehouse, he decides on revenge and plans to steal a million dollars worth of drugs from him.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Truth or Consequences, N.M.?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Truth or Consequences, N.M. streaming on Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Truth or Consequences, N.M.?

Truth or Consequences, N.M. earns 2 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Preferred by Non-US Viewers.

Reception

Is Truth or Consequences, N.M. worth watching?

Truth or Consequences, N.M.'s Midcredits score is the 53rd percentile of all films, from 7.5K ratings across 4 sources. 50% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

53rd percentile

Better received than 53% of films

69th percentile among Action56th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)52nd
Approval (how many liked it)52nd

62 /100

52nd percentile of all films

68th percentile among Action56th percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.4 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

50% liked it

52nd percentile of all films

66th percentile among Action55th percentile among 1990s
50% rated it 7–1050% rated it 1–6

Critics 38% · Audience 46%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Reach

How many have seen it

77th percentile

7.5K ratings across platforms

64th percentile among Action70th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 28% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$20K
Domestic gross$109K
Worldwide gross$135K

20th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree it's a formulaic, derivative 90s crime road movie with uneven execution but some entertaining moments.

Fans praised

  • strong cast chemistry, especially Gallo, Dickens, and Sutherland
  • gritty, entertaining action with 90s crime energy
  • engaging characters and a blend of crime, romance, and desert-noir mood

Detractors panned

  • derivative of Tarantino with badly written, pulpy dialogue
  • predictable and cliché-ridden plot with weak character development
  • over-the-top violence and forced, unrealistic scenes

What stands out

ActingDivisive75

cast praised as overqualified, with strong performances from Gallo, Dickens, and Sutherland; some call out Martin Sheen as weak

Effects and spectacleDivisive55

gritty, stylized violence with squibs and gunplay; some find it excessive or forced

AtmosphereDivisive50

desert-noir and road movie mood works for some, but forced and uneven for others

CharactersDivisive45

some interesting characters, but many reviewers find them flat or unlikable, with forced arcs

Pacing40

some find it slow in places, with dragging road sequences, but others say action keeps it moving

Plot and storyDivisive35

heist-gone-wrong plot is predictable and derivative, with contrived twists and ending

DialogueDivisive30

pulpy, Tarantino-esque dialogue often falls flat and feels stolen or embarrassing

Originality20

derivative of Tarantino and other 90s crime films; formulaic with no new material

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 10 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Truth or Consequences, N.M. like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrilling
Heaviest: throughout
Dark humor
Register
Brutal · 7% of filmsHardboiled · 1% of films: Terse, unsentimental, noir-inflected.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its crime narrative straight, with a gritty, unflinching tone that does not undercut its violence.
The rideThe heist and escape keep the mood tense and thrilling throughout, with violence and unpredictability maintaining pressure.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically from planning to execution to aftermath.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe gritty violence and moral ambiguity leave an uneasy, lingering impression.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% (this title) · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Corporate villainy: A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe criminal crew's heist and escape form a quest-like mission against the drug organization and law enforcement.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfGreedPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% (this title) · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Greed · 3% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of filmsSurvival
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film focuses on a heist motivated by greed and a desire for payback, with trust fraying among the criminals as survival becomes uncertain.
StanceThe film observes a group of criminals navigating greed and survival without overt moral judgment, focusing on their interpersonal dynamics.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernRockSupportive music · original score · Jude Cole
Setting1990s New Mexico and Nevada, a gritty criminal milieu of drug deals and cross-country escape
MusicA gritty score that underscores the tense and volatile moments of the heist and escape.

Content guide

Is Truth or Consequences, N.M. okay for kids?

R

Truth or Consequences, N.M. is rated R.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Germany18

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Truth or Consequences, N.M. have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Truth or Consequences, N.M.?

Cast

3 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Vincent Gallo
as Raymond Lembecke
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kiefer Sutherland
as Curtis Freley
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Max Perlich
as Wayne
Rod Steiger
as Tony Vago
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
John C. McGinley
as Eddie Grillo
Martin Sheen
as Sir
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Kevin Pollak
as Gordon Jacobson
Mykelti Williamson
as Marcus Weans
Kim Dickens
as Addy Monroe
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Grace Phillips
as Donna Moreland
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Truth or Consequences, N.M?

Movies like Truth or Consequences, N.M include No Sudden Move (2021), Empire State (2013) and Lucky Numbers (2000). Of the 12 closest matches, most are heist films, and most are films about greed.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its character type: partners in crime. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Truth or Consequences, N.M.?

1.2K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: thief. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.