Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

Downtime

Play trailer Poster for Downtime 1998 1h 30m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 0 Reviews 31% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Thugs in a seedy English neighborhood trap an old man, a boy, his suicidal mother (Susan Lynch) and her date (Paul McGann) in an elevator.

Audience Reviews

View All (7) audience reviews
Audience Member Directed by Bharat Nulluri (The Crow: Salvation (2000) and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008)), and written by Caspar Berry (Byker Grove). This is a film which at the time was hyped as Britain's answer to action fare like Die Hard and Speed. It's a good idea for a film, but there's parts of it which just dive into absolute far-fetched hokum, which goes against it's gritty, realistic setting. In Liverpool, former police psychologist Rob (Paul McGann) talks suicidal single mother Chrissy (Susan Lynch) from committing suicide by jumping from her high rise flat. She's sick of being tormented by the local gang that rule the tower block, which has been condemned, but there's a few families inside that can't move because the council won't help. However, after helping Chrissy back inside, Rob goes to meet her a few days later, but the gang end up tampering the lift controls leaving Rob, Chrissy and her young son Jake (Adam Johnston) trapped in an out of control lift. They have to try and get out of the lift and get out of the building, but this is near impossible. It's a very silly film, which could have been an intelligent action film, but it's let down by overacting (McGann especially), but when the lift scenes come, they're very good, but it's also let down by a mawkish ending and over-trite dialogue. Look out for a young Stephen Graham as one of the gang members. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member There are so many themes in this film it is impossible to say what the genre is whilst watching it, in the end it appears to be a lame love story with a lot of loose ends not properly explained. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member I worked on this film, the best things about it were meeting Susan Lynch and Paul McGann and seeing my name in the credits! Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Advertised as the first real British action film. It was more of a limpish thriller in the end and certainly nothing to write home about! Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member An interesting and underrated Drama/Thriller. Paul McGann is brilliant, as usual. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Not a very good movie. I wouldnt ever watch this movie again. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Downtime

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Thugs in a seedy English neighborhood trap an old man, a boy, his suicidal mother (Susan Lynch) and her date (Paul McGann) in an elevator.
Director
Bharat Nalluri
Producer
Richard Johns
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 30m