---
title: "The Killing of a Chinese Bookie: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-killing-of-a-chinese-bookie/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-killing-of-a-chinese-bookie"
critics_score: 57
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976): what the critics said

Critics' score 57 from 7 reviews: 4 positive, 1 mixed, 2 negative.

## The New Yorker

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic presents the film as a compelling, fatalistic crime drama. They praise Cassavetes’s staging of the gun battle and the club performer’s haunting routines.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/the-killing-of-a-chinese-bookie)

## Empire — William Thomas

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2012. 

The review is positive about the film’s improvised character study and its emotionally affecting nightclub world. It particularly praises Gazzara’s restrained performance and expressive small gestures.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/killling-chinese-bookie-review/)

## The Guardian — Derek Malcolm

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 6 July 2000. 

Malcolm regards the film as flawed but unforgettable, capturing the absurdity and persistence of one man’s American dream. He especially praises Cassavetes’s dreamlike orchestration and the sincerity of the protagonist’s attachment to his club.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/Century_Of_Films/Story/0,4135,365683,00.html)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 47/100 (inferred from the text). 16 February 1976. 

The headline characterizes the film as a bland effort, indicating a negative verdict. No specific praise or criticism is available in the accessible page text.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1976/02/16/archives/screen-chinese-bookiecassavetes-is-director-of-bland-effort.html)

## Time Out — MA

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 

The review presents the film as waywardly plotted and skeptical of gangster conventions. It singles out the gangsters’ attempts to distract Gazzara from his loyalty as central to the plot.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-killing-of-a-chinese-bookie)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1975. 

The critic pans the film as awful. They single out its cinematography as conspicuously poor, noting that no cinematographer is credited.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1975/film/reviews/the-killing-of-a-chinese-bookie-1200423616/)

## HeyUGuys — Ashley Norris

Rating 4.5/5. 19 July 2013. 

The critic calls the film a must-see, praising its enigmatic performances and striking visuals. Ben Gazzara’s precise, captivating portrayal of Cosmo Vitelli is singled out as the standout.

[Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/blu-ray-and-dvd-round-up-19th-july-2013/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-killing-of-a-chinese-bookie.md