Son of a Gun

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Son of a Gun

R

2014

1h 48m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

63%

Tomatometer

75 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

JR, a teenage criminal, is locked up for a minor crime and forced to adapt to the harsh realities of prison life. Brendan Lynch, one of Australia's most notorious criminals, offers JR protection, but it comes with a price.

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Critics Consensus

Gritty, stylish, and smart, Son of a Gun serves up plenty of genre thrills while offering a refreshing change of pace for Ewan McGregor.

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Donald Clarke

Irish Times

Vikander has barely a wisp of fictional personality to exploit. Still, the action is skilfully staged, there is a rough fug to the cinematography, and the double crosses are cunningly finessed.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 11, 2019

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Rex Reed

Observer

A not-so-thrilling heist thriller that drones along mechanically between explosions and car crashes with Ewan McGregor, who is making entirely too many movies these days, none of them worth writing home about.

Rated: 2/4

Feb 4, 2015

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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

Unlikely discussions about the differences between chimps and bonobos provide sub-Tarantino laughs, and the heist is handled with stripped-down B-movie efficiency.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 1, 2015

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Filmmaker Julius Avery delivers an exceedingly erratic narrative that's at its best in a surprisingly captivating first half...

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 18, 2019

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Nearly every narrative twist and character tic feels lifted from another film, so much so that one would readily believe this to be a direct remake of something.

Rated: 2.5/5

Jul 18, 2019

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Tom Bond

One Room With A View

The one saving grace is that although hilariously clichéd, Son of a Gun is also an entertaining and visceral thriller - though not always on purpose.

Rated: 2/5

May 31, 2019

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Ken W

Good movie, confusing ending knocks off one star.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/15/25

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Madam D

3.25 stars. Although a typical crime thriller in most ways, the humanity of some of the bad guys makes it more interesting.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

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Jacobo L

Most movies about criminals make the criminals look like mindless animals who only think of the money. Best part of this film is how they show the humanity and intelligence of criminals.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/06/25

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Mr. B

het begin van het verhaal pakte mijn aandacht. Ik was erg benieuwd welke kant het op ging. Halverwege was het plot teleurstellend en had ik veel vragen over de tot standkoming en de keuzes die werden gemaakt in het verhaal. actie scenes waren een beetje uitgemolken en het plot redelijk voorspelbaar.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/12/25

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Dompret C

The movie was good because of McGregor who nailed it. Sadly, the main character in the movie didn't have any aggression, any dualism or passion. There was no sexual tension between him and the leading lady... He was meant to be a delinquent young criminal, but he was always passive with the same expression. It made it feel as though he ran away with the woman because she was a mother figure rather than a romantic interest...

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/26/25

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Ari V

Too many cheap little shortcuts to be worthwhile.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

12/30/24

Full Review

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Julius Avery

Director

Brenton Thwaites

JR

Ewan McGregor

Brendan

Alicia Vikander

Tasha

Matt Nable

Sterlo

Damon Herriman

Private Wilson

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33%

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Synopsis

JR, a teenage criminal, is locked up for a minor crime and forced to adapt to the harsh realities of prison life. Brendan Lynch, one of Australia's most notorious criminals, offers JR protection, but it comes with a price.

Director: Julius Avery
Producer: Timothy White
Screenwriter: Julius Avery
Production Co: Southern Light
Rating: R (Language Throughout|Drug Use|Nudity|Some Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2015
Runtime: 1h 48m

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