When ruthless oil prospector, Daniel Plainview learns of oil-rich land in California that can be bought cheaply, he moves his operation there and begins manipulating and exploiting the local landowners into selling him their property. Using his young adopted son to project the image of a caring family man, Plainview gains the cooperation of almost all the locals with lofty promises to build schools and cultivate the land to make their community flourish. Over time, Plainview's gradual accumulation of wealth and power causes his true self to surface, and he begins to slowly alienate himself from everyone in his life.
Two men visit a bar. There, we see a man and woman kiss (in the background) through the entire scene. A man asks for some money to pay one of the women, as she laughs at him.
violence
A man falls down a hole, landing on his back and groaning in pain.
Two men are killed in separate mining accidents: one struck by a metal pipe and one struck by a falling beam. We see their dirtied and bloodied corpses after.
A man is slapped around many times and choked.
A boy slaps and punches his father.
A man's head is bludgeoned three times with a bowling pin. The beating is offscreen, but we see - from a moderate distance - the man's head bloodied on the ground.
A man is killed with a gunshot to the head while being held down. The setting is dimly lit, and the scene is positioned so that very little gore is visible.
profanity
Repeated use of the word bastard throughout a scene.
2 uses of "God damn".
1 use of the word ass.
alcohol
Some smoking and drinking.
frightening
The murder of Eli at the end is disturbing and graphic. The argument before is very intense.
The scene where Henry is killed is disturbing.
A violent gas explosion is depicted and a child is permanently disabled because of it.
A house is set in flames on purpose, two men try to put it out.
