Starred Up

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Starred Up

2014

1h 40m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

116 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

An explosive teenager runs into his equally violent father after being switched to an adult prison from a facility for juveniles.

Critics Consensus

Smart, hard-hitting, and queasily realistic, Starred Up is an instant classic of U.K. prison cinema.

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David Sims

The Atlantic

Mackenzie is seeking to understand how all this explosive male energy can co-exist under such brutal conditions, and the answer is with great difficulty.

Sep 22, 2016

Full Review

David Ehrlich

Complex

What makes Starred Up such a riveting experience is that, despite the often unintelligible brogues in which its characters speak, the film so vividly depicts the cutthroat culture of prison life that nothing gets lost in translation.

Rated: 4.5/5

Sep 27, 2014

Full Review

Walter V. Addiego

San Francisco Chronicle

Director David Mackenzie has empathy for the characters, but also knows how to ratchet up the tension and make the scene of mayhem pack a wallop.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 25, 2014

Full Review

Q.V. Hough

Vague Visages

I took a deep breath after this film was over. Jack O’Connell will literally become a star this week once Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken hits theaters, but his snarling performance in Starred Up can’t be missed.

Jun 23, 2023

Full Review

Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

Episode 27: Valhalla Rising / Bronson / Starred Up / True Detective S3

Rated: 86/100

Sep 9, 2021

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

Nashville Scene

Throughout, Starred Up keeps the audience in its own prison of nervous tension and worry, as Mackenzie casts a shadow of terrifying unpredictability over each scene. That unease is heightened by O'Connell's masterful performance.

Sep 9, 2021

Full Review

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Igor S

Solid movie all around. Good tension, good drama, and good representation of disfunctional relationships; even if a bit silly or over the top at times. I don't give it that last star because of the ending and near ending. I get real life isn't a fairy tale and sometimes "the bad guys win" or get away with certain things, but the ending makes the movie feel incomplete.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

Full Review

Stoner J

It’s a good U.K. prison drama, not a thriller nor crime-thriller as described. There are a couple intense moments though. For me, it’s too incomplete with the ending by it had but the point comes across.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/09/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 40 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In British English with American English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $34,100.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

Full Review

Tim B

Awesome movie! Great acting and directing. It's a redemption song for sure!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/25

Full Review

Jonathan K

I genuinely had no idea where this was going or what the arc would be. But I'll say this, it will stick with you. It has some very good performances and a solid tone. The father-son dynamic almost gets silly at one point when they're hurling insults at each other, but overall it's a not so subtle, but somehow still nuanced, story about reconciliation and facing one's demons.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/24/24

Full Review

Alec B

Yes it's brutal, but also achingly sad. Asser's screenplay and Mackenzie's direction achieve a lot with very little. You are totally immersed in this world and understand the characters without much verbal exposition. Also, O'Connell's performance is an explosion of brilliance, announcing him as a major new talent.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/13/23

Full Review

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David Mackenzie

Director

Ben Mendelsohn

Neville

Rupert Friend

Oliver

Jack O'Connell

Eric

Sam Spruell

Governor Hayes

David Ajala

Tyrone

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Golden Tomato Awards 2014

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Synopsis

An explosive teenager runs into his equally violent father after being switched to an adult prison from a facility for juveniles.

Director: David Mackenzie
Producer: Gillian Berrie, Brian Coffey
Screenwriter: Jonathan Asser
Distributor: Tribeca Film
Production Co: Northern Ireland Screen, Creative Scotland, Sigma, Quickfire Films, Lipsync Productions, Film4
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 27, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 28, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $34.1K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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