Censor

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1:38

Censor

2021

1h 24m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

168 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

Film censor Enid takes pride in her meticulous work, guarding unsuspecting audiences from the deleterious effects of watching the gore-filled decapitations and eye gougings she pores over. Her sense of duty to protect is amplified by guilt over her inability to recall details of the long-ago disappearance of her sister, recently declared dead in absentia. When Enid is assigned to review a disturbing film from the archive that echoes her hazy childhood memories, she begins to unravel how this eerie work might be tied to her past.

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Critics Consensus

Occasionally uneven but bold and viscerally effective, Censor marks a bloody good step forward for British horror.

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Ela Bittencourt

Sight & Sound

May 13

Bond presciently taps into the fact that violence has been such a deeply entrenched threat in women’s worlds that it permeates and inflects all human interactions. Trauma isn’t just an individual event, it’s a psychosomatic experience on a social scale.

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Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

08/22/2021

4/5

Indie movies like this one aren't out to make a killing, but consider me slain.

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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

08/22/2021

5/5

This thrilling, dizzying debut from Welsh writer-director Prano Bailey-Bond is a nostalgic treat for anyone old enough to remember the infamous "video nasties" scare of the early 80s.

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Michael Cook

Geek Vibes Nation

Jul 17

4/5

Director Prano Bailey-Bond imbues the film with the kind of tension that creeps up on you until it becomes overwhelming.

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Geoffrey Macnab

iNews.co.uk

01/16/2025

4/5

Director Prano Bailey-Bond combines satire, horror and social commentary in her ingenious and revelatory film.

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Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

10/11/2024

Filled with as much humor as it does gore, Bailey-Bond’s film reminded me a lot of Cindy Sherman’s Office Killer, though its denouement is much, much bloodier.

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Shaun

06/13/2021

Old movie- Poor plot development. Waste of time to watch

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Atrum I

@RT73019957 May 10

I personally loved it. It reminded me of Stopmotion in some ways and older youtube analog horror videos. Definitely slower and more psychological, so if that's not your thing you might not enjoy it. It posed an interesting insight into who and what Censors are, something I haven't really seen or heard of discussed much before.

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Gabriel T

@GabrielFagundes Feb 8

It's definitely a slow burn, but a really good one. The ending is so incredibly cathartic. It was a great tragedy, I wasn't expecting the movie to go into this direction. It deserves more recognition

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Jennifer T

@jentr Jan 9

Slow & uninteresting

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Claudio C

@Claudio666 Jan 5

A Tale of Insanity (12,177 – 04 Jan 2026) In the 80’s, Enid Baines is a tough censor in UK, and the colleagues call her "Little Miss Perfect". Enid has a childhood trauma since her sister Nina disappeared in the forest when they were young. When Enid releases the movie "Deranged" without cutting a violent scene, there is a murder of a family, and the killer says that was influenced by the film. Enid is affected by the event and soon she sees a movie very similar to the conditions when Nina vanished. She believes her sister is alive and abducted by the producer and the director of the film, and the actress Alice Lee would be Nina. She crosses the line between reality and fiction on a tragic trip. "Censor" (2021) is a tale of insanity by Prano Bailey-Bond. The plot is original, with great performance of Niamh Algar. Her obsession to find Nina triggers insanity when she sees a pirate movie. The ambiguous and surreal conclusion is excellent. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): "Censor"

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dbagking _.

@dbagking Nov 16

Good: great shots, great concept. Bad: slow, confusing ending. Be prepared for a slow grinding horror that never speeds up. If you like that you will love this.

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Niamh Algar

Enid Baines

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Censor: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Film censor Enid takes pride in her meticulous work, guarding unsuspecting audiences from the deleterious effects of watching the gore-filled decapitations and eye gougings she pores over. Her sense of duty to protect is amplified by guilt over her inability to recall details of the long-ago disappearance of her sister, recently declared dead in absentia. When Enid is assigned to review a disturbing film from the archive that echoes her hazy childhood memories, she begins to unravel how this eerie work might be tied to her past.

Director: Prano Bailey-Bond
Producer: Helen Sara Jones
Screenwriter: Prano Bailey-Bond, Anthony Fletcher
Distributor: Magnet Releasing
Production Co: Timpson Films, Ffilm Cymru Wales , Film 4, BFI Film Fund, Rook Films, Silver Salt Films
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 11, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 18, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $88.0K
Runtime: 1h 24m