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Ruby

If you don't know his story you don't know the whole story.

1992110 minRMidcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Director
John Mackenzie
Starring
Danny Aiello, Sherilyn Fenn, Tobin Bell, Joe Cortese

Fact and fiction are combined in this story about Jack Ruby and a stripper, Candy Cane, and how they become involved in a conspiracy to kill J.F.K.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Ruby?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Ruby on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Ruby?

Ruby earns 3 badges, led by Box Office Flop and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Ruby worth watching?

Ruby's Midcredits score is the 22nd percentile of all films, from 2.4K ratings across 4 sources. 24% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

22nd percentile

Better received than 22% of films

5th percentile among Biography24th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)33rd
Approval (how many liked it)14th

56 /100

33rd percentile of all films

11th percentile among Biography35th percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.6 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

24% liked it

14th percentile of all films

2nd percentile among Biography15th percentile among 1990s
24% rated it 7–1076% rated it 1–6

Critics 45% · Audience 19%

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

53rd percentile

2.4K ratings across platforms

30th percentile among Biography48th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 30% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$9M
Opening weekend$614K
Domestic gross$919K
Worldwide gross$919K

Returned 0.1× its budget — 33rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • Danny Aiello's performance anchors the film
  • Captures the era's atmosphere and strip-club milieu
  • Tight focus on Ruby's personal perspective and motivation

Detractors panned

  • Convoluted conspiracy plotting strains credibility
  • Tedious pacing and sluggish narrative flow
  • Clichéd dialogue and cardboard characterizations

What stands out

ActingDivisive70

Aiello praised as strong and suited but some find performance laughable

AtmosphereDivisive65

Evokes early-60s Dallas strip-club world

CharactersDivisive45

Ruby as mobster with heart divisive; Candy Cane called fictional and flat

Plot and storyDivisive35

Speculative conspiracy muddled and unbelievable

PacingDivisive35

Slow start then rushed climax

Dialogue35

Atrocious clichés and exposition

Preferred by

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

  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Ruby like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something to think about afterwards.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

Setting

  • Mid 20th century
  • Realistic
  • Urban
  • Domestic
  • Institutional

Style

  • Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
  • Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.

Themes

  • Corruption
  • Betrayal

What it asks of you

  • Slow burn
  • Engaged
  • Affecting
  • Resolved

Feelings

  • Tense
  • Melancholic

The answer rests on this: How it leaves you

  • Thought-provoking
  • Haunting

Story

  • Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.
ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Heaviest: late
Told as
In medias res · 1% of films: Opens mid-action, then fills in how we got there.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its conspiracy theory with earnest seriousness, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe film builds tension around the conspiracy and ends with Ruby's tragic fall.
StructureOpens with the murder scene before jumping back in time to tell the story linearly.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you pondering the conspiracy and feeling the tragic waste of Ruby's life.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic 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).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · 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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% (this title) · 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%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Corruption arc: Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).

9% of films fit this archetype

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

Why this archetypeRuby's involvement in a conspiracy to assassinate JFK leads to his moral decay and tragic downfall; the plot is driven by his attempts to expose the truth.

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 filmsSelf
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% (this title) · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · 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

Corruption · 3% of filmsBetrayal · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines how institutional corruption and betrayal at multiple levels trap a small-time nightclub owner in a deadly conspiracy.
StanceThe film interrogates the JFK assassination cover-up by presenting a speculative conspiracy from Ruby's perspective.

The world

Orchestral modernForeground music · original score · John Scott
SettingDallas strip club and JFK assassination conspiracy milieu
MusicBombastic orchestral score that some critics felt was inappropriate.

Content guide

Is Ruby okay for kids?

R

Ruby is rated R.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Germany12

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Ruby have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Ruby?

Cast

Danny Aiello
as Jack Ruby
Sherilyn Fenn
as Candy Cane
Tobin Bell
as Ferrie
Joe Cortese
as Louie Vitali
David Duchovny
as Officer Tippit
Richard C. Sarafian
as Proby
Leonard Termo
as Tony Ana
Arliss Howard
as Maxwell
Carmine Caridi
as Sam Giancana
Marc Lawrence
as Santos Alicante

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Ruby?

Movies like Ruby include City Hall (1996), The Godfather (1972) and Hoffa (1992). Of the 11 closest matches, several are political thrillers, and most are stories about mentors and protégés.

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

8 of these 11 share its subject: corruption. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Ruby?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: political thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.