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Prick Up Your Ears

Play trailer Poster for Prick Up Your Ears R 1987 1h 48m Biography LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
92% Tomatometer 39 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
The life and tragic death of British playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman) is chronicled in this biographical film. When the young, attractive Orton meets the older, more introverted Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina) at drama school, he befriends the kindred spirit and they start an affair. As Orton becomes more comfortable with his sexuality and starts to find success with his writing, Halliwell becomes increasingly alienated and jealous, ultimately tapping into a dangerous rage.

Critics Reviews

View All (39) Critics Reviews
Henry Sheehan Chicago Reader To reconstruct private lives when documentation gives out is an act of imagination, and that is what the film Prick Up Your Ears is all about. Rated: 3/4 May 9, 2022 Full Review Harper Barnes St. Louis Post-Dispatch You don't get much sense of what the artist's work is all about. But Prick Up Your Ears has the energy mostly to overcome this flaw. Apr 21, 2022 Full Review Catherine Drake Little White Lies Molina is superb as Halliwell, managing to not only depict a man gradually unravelling from intelligent and dignified to frenzied and paranoid but to cast him in a sympathetic light. Jan 15, 2019 Full Review Quentin Crisp Christopher Street What the film lacks is unity and a gradual quickening of pace. Although we know from the stunning beginning what the climax will be, we do not feel that we are being drawn relentlessly toward it. May 7, 2024 Full Review Michael Bronski Gay Community News (Boston) Prick Up Your Ears feels not like a treat, but a solid, fulfilling experience that comes to audiences very infrequently. Sep 19, 2022 Full Review Jas Keimig The Stranger (Seattle, WA) What fascinated me about the film was its portrayal of the deep and unnerving intimacy between the men. Jan 5, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (145) audience reviews
Shioka O Excellent performance by the two leads, and good casting. Off-beat biopic and it was fairly easy to get into it though I didn't know about the person. I think the score is a bit overplayed. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/16/22 Full Review steve d The acting is fantastic. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Amazing film, worth watching Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Superb dialogue. This as a film about a gay couple and the 'ears' in the title is an anagram of arse. Just brilliant. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member This is a great movie and Gary oldman totally immersed himself into this character..great bio-pic Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Audience Member Good script, good leads, a movie that leaves a sad-happy feeling. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Prick Up Your Ears

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Cast & Crew

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Stephen Frears

Director

Gary Oldman

Joe Orton

Alfred Molina

Kenneth Halliwell

Vanessa Redgrave

Peggy Ramsay

Wallace Shawn

John Lahr

Julie Walters

Elsie Orton

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Prick Up Your Ears

Prick Up Your Ears (1987) Prick Up Your Ears (1987) Prick Up Your Ears (1987) Prick Up Your Ears (1987) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis The life and tragic death of British playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman) is chronicled in this biographical film. When the young, attractive Orton meets the older, more introverted Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina) at drama school, he befriends the kindred spirit and they start an affair. As Orton becomes more comfortable with his sexuality and starts to find success with his writing, Halliwell becomes increasingly alienated and jealous, ultimately tapping into a dangerous rage.
Director
Stephen Frears
Producer
Andrew Brown
Screenwriter
Alan Bennett, John Lahr
Production Co
Zenith Productions, Civilland
Rating
R
Genre
Biography, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 2, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.6M
Runtime
1h 48m
Sound Mix
Mono