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Starred Up

Play trailer Poster for Starred Up Released Aug 27, 2014 1h 40m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 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.
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Starred Up

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Critics Consensus

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

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Critics Reviews

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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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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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 Fleces P The accents are pretty thick. I barely understood half the dialogue, but half the dialogue is throw away swearing, so it kind of didn't matter. Yeah, it's violent. I have a hard time believing someone who causes this much trouble wouldn't be sent to solitary immediately. But otherwise, it is entertaining enough to give it a try. The ending is decent, but not like life changing or anything. It brings the film back to Earth a bit and gives it a reason to be seen. Otherwise, I didn't see much of a point to the film. It kind of just drones on as one act of prison stupidity after another. Sure, maybe that's a window into true prison life. I don't know. But before the ending, this was on track to hit 2 stars at best for me. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/01/23 Full Review Bunk M Lock in and mind your gaze, these cons & guards are equally assertive, and the action echoes throughout the prison. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/22/23 Full Review Declan H Jack O'Connell at his best. A powerful, hard hitting experience. Beautifully filmed and perfectly acted, the quintessential British prison film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Starred Up

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Cast & Crew

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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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Starred Up

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Movie Info

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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