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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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

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Audience Member

This film is absolute garbage. I'd rather watch paint dry. Obi wan should stick to star wars. There's about 300 words in 2 hours spoken the best scene is the trains ex scene.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

10/14/24

Full Review

Jonas S

I don't know why, but I love this movie. Ibguess because although it's a relentlessly familiar plot, the writing is so good and the ending so human and redeeming...I keep coming back to it year after year!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/03/24

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

Reasonable Doubt

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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