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Five Star

Play trailer Poster for Five Star Released Jul 24, 2015 1h 22m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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76% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A longtime gang member (James 'Primo' Grant) shows a fast-taking teen (John Diaz) how to operate on the mean streets of Brooklyn, N.Y.
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Five Star

Critics Reviews

View All (21) Critics Reviews
Zeba Blay Shadow and Act Five Star is a compelling portrait, and a refreshing take on a setting and characters too often sensationalized. Sep 13, 2022 Full Review Richard Brody New Yorker The writer and director, Keith Miller, establishes engaging characters but stifles their thoughts and emotions, sets up dramatic situations but avoids their practicalities and implications. Aug 3, 2015 Full Review Katie Walsh Los Angeles Times It's eye-opening to see an indie approach to this genre. Jul 30, 2015 Full Review Stephen Saito Moveable Fest With a thicker thread to grasp onto as far as a plot and a particularly compelling turn by Grant, "Five Star" proves more accessible than "Welcome to Pine Hill" without sacrificing any of its raw energy. Nov 20, 2018 Full Review John Noonan FILMINK (Australia) ...worth pursuing. Rated: 15/20 Dec 8, 2016 Full Review Forrest Cardamenis The Film Stage Because of the heavy use of tropes, the documentary style and genre subversion are not enough to make Five Star feel urgent or authentic. Rated: C Apr 12, 2016 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (9) audience reviews
Audience Member A scaled down Moonlight but just as compelling. Provides an honest and direct look into lives that are more fragile and complex than what is seen on the news. It's a search for acceptance, respect and responsibility. The actors are so subdued and without hype that you think that you are in every scene as a friend or bystander. Very good with no frills. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member I found this a very interesting little indie film. It's the story of a young guy trying to make sense of the world he finds himself in after his father is murdered. He is taken under the wing of the Bloods leader in New York by the name of Primo ( Who is actually a real gang member who joined the gang when he was only 12 years old) He gives such a great and realistic portrayal of this man. What I found interesting was how it seemed to draw me in I find I couldn't take my eyes of the screen I want to see what was going to happen with these two characters. A simple told and made film on a little budget. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Kind of well done but the whole thing is like hanging out with ordinary drug dealers. Not something I would do in real life or in movies. No shoot them up, just very sensitive film. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member An ambitious flick. The choice of real life thugs worked but the story itself is boring as fuck and only comes to life during the final act. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member I want to like this more. I liked the acting, mostly, and it looked pretty authentic. However, them fighting all the time and the back and forth got old. And the ending didn't seem at all realistic or entertaining. This could have been a little better thought out. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member The main draw for this one is the blend of documentary and storytelling. The actual plot is false, but Primo is an actual member of the Bloods and John Diaz is an actual kid from New York. That is the part of this movie that works. Instead of the cliched "coming of age in the 'hood" thing we've seen over and over, we get a more true slice of life. We see Primo playing with his kids and talking to his wife about rent and security deposits. It's actually quite interesting. In fact, the very opening monologue about the night his son was born is the most compelling part of the whole thing. Speaking of, that's the area where this didn't quite hit the mark for me. Yes, seeing the slice of life was interesting, but it wasn't exactly compelling. I found myself half-watching almost the entire middle. But, I will say that slice of life isn't my favorite, and I'm big on dialogue. And when there's five whole minutes of John and his girlfriend mumbling to each other, it just doesn't do it for me. But, this is still interesting, and is a refreshing departure from what we usually see in this genre. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Five Star

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Movie Info

Synopsis A longtime gang member (James 'Primo' Grant) shows a fast-taking teen (John Diaz) how to operate on the mean streets of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Director
Keith Miller
Producer
Daryl Freimark, Keith Miller, Luisa Conlon
Screenwriter
Keith Miller
Distributor
XLrator Media
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 24, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 5, 2016
Runtime
1h 22m
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