Shoplifters of the World

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Shoplifters of the World

Released Mar 26, 2021

1h 31m

Comedy

Drama

Music

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Popcornmeter

44%

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43 Reviews

70%

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50+ Ratings

In the Summer of 1987, four friends, reeling from the sudden break-up of the iconic British band The Smiths, embark on a night out of partying to mourn their musical loss. At the same time, an impassioned Smiths fan takes a local radio DJ hostage at gunpoint and forces him to play nothing but Smiths tracks. With the radio station playing as the soundtrack to their night, the friends go on a wild journey of self-discovery that will transform them forever. Featuring an incredible soundtrack -- including 20 songs from The Smiths -- Shoplifters of the World is a glorious ode to the craziness of the '80s and the power of music to change people's lives.

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Critics Consensus

Strong performances and affectionate period detail aren't enough to disguise the vacuous characters that make up Shoplifters of the World.

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Randy Myers

San Jose Mercury News

While there's nothing much new here, "Shoplifters" does have heart and soul, and some killer Smiths songs.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 31, 2021

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David Ehrlich

indieWire

"The Breakfast Club" approach to sorting these characters into archetypes is unrewarding, and there's no trace of the personal connection that everyone brings to their most passionate fandom.

Rated: C-

Mar 30, 2021

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Monica Castillo

RogerEbert.com

Kijak so clearly wants to share his love of The Smiths with the world, but it overpowers just about everything else in the movie.

Rated: 1.5/4

Mar 27, 2021

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Ben Flanagan

Vague Visages

“‘Shoplifters of the World’ seems more affectionate to 2000s conceptions of 1980s nostalgia than to the thing itself.”

Feb 10, 2024

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David Reddish

Queerty

Shoplifters of the World doesnt fetishize nostalgia so much as offer a glimpse into a specific time and place, and to the anxiety young LGBTQ people felt at the time.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 13, 2022

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Mark Beaumont

NME (New Musical Express)

Go expecting a cinematic fan letter rather than anything Wilde-worthy and this is one night that will, at the very least, open your ears.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 1, 2021

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Gina

Great story / awesome music. LOVED

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/05/21

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Andy R

Last night I dreamt that someone remembered it all. I think that many critics got it wrong with this film. I was the same age as the characters in the film in 1987 and they could have been my friend group. There are so many subtle pieces of dialogue that really capture the time period. Also the look of the film in its camera work and lighting further transport you back to the era if you were there. It acted like a time machine to me. The other details like the set dressing, art direction, and the perfect choreography (yes this exactly like everyone danced then) made this film a amazing document of what the era was like. My friends and I loved The Smiths and that breakup was a huge deal. This film to me was so perfect that it made me wish I was still working in the film industry just so I could have been a part of making it. If you were there and a part of the 80s alternative scene Shoplifters of the World is a must see film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/16/24

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Audience Member

Ex-pat Smiths Freak living in Japan and wow - got to se this on the big screen - Japanese music fans are the BEST and this was such an amazing film - nostalgic in all the right ways, it really feels like the 80s actually were and not how they are usually portrayed - my friends had seen it three times (!!!) - I might go again. I think it is very much for a very specific sort of person. You know who you are. UNITE AND TAKE OVER!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

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Audience Member

Amazing. Saw it my daugheter; engaging, and especially poignant for Smith's lovers.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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Audience Member

The subject matter made me want to watch it but the film itself made me want to stop listening to The Smiths ever again. Dreadful

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

Being as I'm as old as The Smiths themselves , I feel that I'm qualified to write this review. My name is Glen and I'm originally from Fredericksburg, Texas. I'm 57. However, when I discovered The Smiths, I lived in San Diego and compulsively collected Smiths singles and albums, etc etc. This film brought me back to a time in my life when sexual identitiy was not even important. AND THE SONGS ROCK!! To all of you people who are saying that this is a John Hughes film about THE SMITHS... You're right. And I just want to confirm... I really wanted Joe Manganiello to take off his shirt and dance to "How Soon Is Now" And I saw them twice at SDSU Amphitheatre... Once in the second row (Meat is Murder) and once for The Queen is Dead (shitty seats). Both were religious experiences.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

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Stephen Kijak

Director

Helena Howard

Cleo

Ellar Coltrane

Dean

Elena Kampouris

Sheila

Nick Krause

Billy

James Bloor

Patrick

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Shoplifters of the World: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In the Summer of 1987, four friends, reeling from the sudden break-up of the iconic British band The Smiths, embark on a night out of partying to mourn their musical loss. At the same time, an impassioned Smiths fan takes a local radio DJ hostage at gunpoint and forces him to play nothing but Smiths tracks. With the radio station playing as the soundtrack to their night, the friends go on a wild journey of self-discovery that will transform them forever. Featuring an incredible soundtrack -- including 20 songs from The Smiths -- Shoplifters of the World is a glorious ode to the craziness of the '80s and the power of music to change people's lives.

Director: Stephen Kijak
Producer: Joe Manganiello, Nick Manganiello, Laura Rister, Adam Schoon, Marco Vicini, Christopher Figg, Lorianne Hall, Phil Hoelting
Screenwriter: Stephen Kijak
Distributor: RLJE Films
Production Co: Oscura Film, Untitled Entertainment, 3:59
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 26, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 26, 2021
Runtime: 1h 31m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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