Censor

Released Jun 11, 2021

1h 24m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

TRAILER

for Censor: Trailer 1

List

89%

Tomatometer

167 Reviews

56%

Audience Score

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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Charlotte O'Sullivan

London Evening Standard

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

Rated: 4/5

Aug 22, 2021

Full Review

Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

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.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 22, 2021

Full Review

Adam White

Independent (UK)

Censor feels lovingly worked-at, slathered in period detail and aesthetic beauty.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 20, 2021

Full Review

Kyle Logan

Castle of Chills

Censor, the feature directorial debut of Prano Bailey-Bond, joins the ranks of Saint Maud, Raw, and The Witch as a horror feature debut that announces a thrilling new voice in the genre.

Jul 11, 2024

Full Review

Rory Doherty

InSession Film

The narrative and characters are engaging, and the look of the film is spectacular, but Censor can't help feel a little slight for the shocking content of its story...

Rated: B

Jun 13, 2024

Full Review

Greg Carlson

Vague Visages

Enid’s willingness to go down that rabbit hole is reminiscent in a certain way of Harry Caul in The Conversation...

Jul 28, 2023

Full Review

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Shaun

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

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/13/21

Full Review

Ivan N

Thrilling, captivating, terrifying - so simple in its premise, but quite complex when it comes to the actual movie and its plot development. Thoughtful movie that you want to rewatch again and again, cause you know you have missed a detail. In my opinion, the best horror movie of the decade yet

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/22/24

Full Review

Craig B

Niamh Algar Is simply outstanding in Censor, a great little horror / mystery. A particularly violent and gory film, mostly from the perspective of the movies that Niamh's character watches as part of her film censoring role, although the last third of the movie exhibits violent and gory elements outside of the lead's censor role. It's not too long at 84 minutes and moves at a good pace with some interesting twists and turns to keep you wondering where the film will end up. Highly recommended for horror fans.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/08/24

Full Review

Alec B

Wanted to like this more (love the idea of a horror movie about a horror movie censor) but it is ultimately too muddled, trapped somewhere between a homage and an arthouse deconstruction.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

Mortal

The plot and the character arc of the protagonist does not make sense. 30+ minutes are consumed by dream sequences and flashbacks. In summary, premise was good the execution was terrible.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/25/23

Full Review

Diamond W

A really great film for intelligent indie-horror fans. It examines the danger of confusing reality with fiction in horror movies by doing exactly that. The retro aesthetic is very pleasing with deep purples, lush greens, blood reds and washes of cerulean blue making every scene glow. I noticed a parallel thread running through this movie and "Saint Maud" (also released in 2021). On a basic psychological level, both films are about women trying to make amends by saving or protecting others. Where Enid can't seem to remember the cause of her guilt, Maud is trying to repress the cause while people keep reminding her of it. Enid is triggered by amnesia, Maud is triggered by memories. "Saint Maud" deals with these issues using a subtle and sophisticated art-house approach, but "Censor" stays true to it's subject matter and dives straight into slasher territory, which is an excellent choice. The third act is downright comical in its irony, yet still disturbing and tragic, thanks to the convincing desperation portrayed by Niamh Algar. Good stuff.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/07/23

Full Review

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Prano Bailey-Bond

Director

Niamh Algar

Enid Baines

Michael Smiley

Doug Smart

Nicholas Burns

Sanderson

Vincent Franklin

Fraser

Sophia La Porta

Alice Lee

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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

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