Starter for 10

Play trailer

Starter for 10

PG-13

2007

1h 36m

Romance

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

80 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Brian Jackson (James McAvoy), a working-class youth from Essex, gets a chance to prove himself when he is accepted to respected Bristol University. As Brian navigates his way through his first year there, he finds romance with two pretty students (Alice Eve, Rebecca Hall) and tries out for a popular TV program called "University Challenge."

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Starter For 10 is a spirited coming-of-age tale that remains charming and witty even as it veers into darker teritory. The unique setting of a quiz show makes the film wittier than your average romantic comedy.

Read Critics Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

12/04/2007

Conventional, slight, but charming.

Go to Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

09/22/2007

3/5

McAvoy carries the picture confidently enough as a leading man, and there is a nice performance from Benedict Cumberbatch.

Go to Full Review

David Fear

Time Out

09/22/2007

2/6

There's nothing here we haven't seen done better before.

Go to Full Review

David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

05/21/2020

McAvoy is piling up an impressive resume of leading-guy roles for an actor who doesn't at first glance possess leading-guy looks.

Go to Full Review

Troy Patterson

Spin

10/25/2019

3.5/4

Adhering to every convention of the coming-of-age film in a sneakily alluring way and flirting with cliche without slobbering all over it, this sweet little date-night flick is built to charm everyone's inner 18-year-old.

Go to Full Review

Kaleem Aftab

The List

11/03/2018

3/5

While the love story is predictable, the amusing quiz show storyline and excellent post-new wave soundtrack almost make up for it.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Conrad C

@sosopoptart Jan 19

McAvoy is charming but slightly spineless in this film that is probably best categorized as coming-of-age. There's not a lot of good to say about the plot for this one, and not enough in the other facets of the movie to make up for it.

See more

alan g

@agenser Jan 10

Michael Fox did the charming young man better. Alice Eve is beautiful as usual.

See more

Farah R.

@Farah 06/25/2025

McAvoy plays a charming young man in this entertaining coming-of-age romantic comedy that explores deeper themes of love and friendship.

See more

Ralph R

@RT14837316 11/22/2024

Starter for 10 is a fun and entertaining movie, and it’s even better because it stars three of my favorite actors—James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Alice Eve. James is great as Brian Jackson, a college student trying to fit in at university and make it onto the "University Challenge" quiz team. He really nails the mix of awkwardness and ambition, making his character super relatable. Benedict is hilarious as the overly serious team captain, and Alice Eve adds a lot of charm as Brian’s crush. The cast really makes this movie shine, even if the story itself is pretty predictable. It’s your classic coming-of-age tale, but it’s done in such a fun way with a lot of humor and heart. The soundtrack and 1980s vibe give it a nostalgic feel, and while it’s not perfect, it’s just one of those movies that’s really enjoyable to watch. If you love these actors like I do, it’s definitely worth checking out.

See more

Jack S

@RT58840043 09/14/2024

A surprise in the finale plus an exceptional cast distinguish Starter For 10 from some otherwise pretty familiar rom-com material. McAvoy for example, is sensational as the callow student. Plus, Cumberbatch is a standout as a seriously uptight quiz team captain.

See more

KB B

@Okbullard 05/07/2024

Every now and then it's nice to watch a light,feel good film. This had great acting and storyline. It's definitely worth the watch.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Tom Vaughan

Director

James McAvoy

Brian Jackson

Alice Eve

Alice Harbinson

Rebecca Hall

Rebecca Epstein

Simon Woods

Josh

Catherine Tate

Julie Jackson

About a Boy

93%

55%

About a Boy

Watchlist

TRAILER

for About a Boy

Roll Bounce

66%

70%

Roll Bounce

Watchlist

Elizabethtown

27%

66%

Elizabethtown

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Elizabethtown

Lars and the Real Girl

81%

84%

Lars and the Real Girl

Watchlist

Fever Pitch

66%

60%

Fever Pitch

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Fever Pitch

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Brian Jackson (James McAvoy), a working-class youth from Essex, gets a chance to prove himself when he is accepted to respected Bristol University. As Brian navigates his way through his first year there, he finds romance with two pretty students (Alice Eve, Rebecca Hall) and tries out for a popular TV program called "University Challenge."

Director: Tom Vaughan
Producer: Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Pippa Harris
Screenwriter: David Nicholls
Distributor: Picturehouse
Production Co: Scamp Film and Theatre Ltd., Playtone Productions, Neal Street Productions, HBO Films
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Scene of Drug Use|Language)
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 23, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $210.1K
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS