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Stuart: A Life Backwards

Play trailer Poster for Stuart: A Life Backwards TV-MA 2007 1h 30m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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A writer (Benedict Cumberbatch) documents the life of a homeless alcoholic (Tom Hardy) who has a violent past.
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Stuart: A Life Backwards

Critics Reviews

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Geordie Gray The Australian This true story is deeply sad and often terribly funny. It’s a thrill seeing a young Cumberbatch and Hardy. Oct 13, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Amy H Incredible performance by Tom Hardy. Clever and unpredictable, tragic and heartwarming. A true must see film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/14/24 Full Review Daniel R It is really a great film. A must see in my opinion.. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Tom Hardy is remarkable in this movie. He really steals the show. What a horrific life this man lived through. No savior showing up to save this child....again. Cumberbatch is good as well, as are the actors portraying Stuart's family members. But it's Hardy's total immersion in the physical expression, the vocalizations, tics, and emotional rollercoaster of a very decent but awfully tortured man that really makes this worth viewing. He never seems to slip out of character for a moment. It's Day-Lewis-esque. 3.3 stars Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Alex L Probably the most impressive performances from both now revered actors in 2022 with and having done the book and both individuals proud it's both soul lifting and soul crushing ability had me in emotional unpredictability. This book should be taught in education. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/11/22 Full Review colin m A study of the evolution of a homeless man. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member This was a surprise. Rarely do you find buddy drama's dealing with the most sincere and deepest aspects of the human condition. Stuart captures the essence of a person who everyone knows, and everyone has a feeling about, but very few truly understand. This movie doesn't necessarily bring about an understanding because in Stuarts own words, 'many people have had a life like me', and yet many others end up with different results. Everything about this movie is romantic despite the damning conclusion. Everyone in this movie longs for better and more joy for them and their loved ones, even those who changed the course of their life by being heinous and horrible to them. The story is told from the perspective of a fairly anonymous character who starts as a writer and turns into the biographer of a new found homeless friend. The author studies how he got there and where he will go and the tragedy that overwhelms his life and his own demons in struggling with said tragedy. This all happens backwards because some people experience all their lives hardest days at the beginning, and from that point on its survival, and any expectations of thriving while barely surviving are fleeting at best. Stuart: A Life Backwards is a movie which develops true forms of sympathy through not only the actors portrayals but the writers complete lack of judgement over the protagonist. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Stuart: A Life Backwards

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A writer (Benedict Cumberbatch) documents the life of a homeless alcoholic (Tom Hardy) who has a violent past.
Director
David Attwood
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Runtime
1h 30m
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