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The Upside

Play trailer 2:30 Poster for The Upside PG-13 Released Jan 11, 2019 2h 6m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
43% Tomatometer 190 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Phillip is a wealthy quadriplegic who needs a caretaker to help him with his day-to-day routine in his New York penthouse. He decides to hire Dell, a struggling parolee who's trying to reconnect with his ex and his young son. Despite coming from two different worlds, an unlikely friendship starts to blossom as Dell and Phillip rediscover the joy of living life to the fullest.
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The Upside

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Critics Consensus

Preachy, manipulative, and frustratingly clichéd, The Upside showcases Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart's chemistry without ever taking full advantage of it.

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Critics Reviews

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Ben Sachs Chicago Reader Director Neil Burger, for his part, moves the story along fairly briskly, refusing to let the film's schmaltziness weigh it down. This is nothing remarkable, but it could have been a lot worse. Apr 13, 2020 Full Review Tim Cogshell FilmWeek (LAist) Does it work? No, not really... But Kevin Hart is good. Sep 13, 2019 Full Review Brad Newsome Sydney Morning Herald As the paint-by-numbers plot progresses -- over two very long hours -- the treacle thickens and it becomes clear that each of them is slowly going to learn from and be redeemed by the others. May 3, 2019 Full Review Calum Cooper Source (Scotland) It’s perfectly fine, all things considered, but it’s still far too mechanical for my tastes. Rated: 2/5 Jul 14, 2024 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies The film’s investment is in telling us about this crazy and unique friendship. In doing so it may not hit every note it should, but it still manages to be a worthwhile watch. Rated: 3/5 Aug 21, 2022 Full Review M.N. Miller Ready Steady Cut The Upside appeals to mass audience erogenous zones (bankable star, humor, candy-coating issues) that’s unapologetically feel-good while offering award season relief. Rated: 3.5/5 Aug 17, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Katie D definitely funny and heartwarming! I have to say that although it was supposed to be set in New York, I could tell that it was not actually filmed there. I did not realize that this was a remake and now I'd like to watch the French version to compare. It did make me wonder what parts really happened, what was based on the autobiography, what was based on the other film and what was made up. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/15/21 Full Review Audience Member This movie made me almost cry three times while watching, it's just art, I'm still wondering why the hell this has a 43% by the critiques Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/20/25 Full Review ꫀᨶℓỉρʂꫀ m The movie moves along quite fast when it comes to their relationship. It builds fast but overall I liked it. I would have liked to see a better actor than Kevin Hart play that part and it could have been better IMO. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/17/25 Full Review Audience Member a very unique story. it was really fun to watch it Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/06/25 Full Review Lebleena L The Upside conveys endearing moments and offer some humorous ones with a fabulous cast in this film based on a true story. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/20/25 Full Review Lukas K While not as extraordinary as the original it does manage to present a few twist. Enganing enough to be worth a watch albeit with hiccups. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/17/24 Full Review Read all reviews
The Upside

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Cast & Crew

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Neil Burger

Director

Kevin Hart

Dell Scott

Bryan Cranston

Phillip Lacasse

Nicole Kidman

Yvonne Pendleton

Aja Naomi King

Latrice

Jahi Di'Allo Winston

Anthony

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The Upside

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The Upside

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Movie Info

Synopsis Phillip is a wealthy quadriplegic who needs a caretaker to help him with his day-to-day routine in his New York penthouse. He decides to hire Dell, a struggling parolee who's trying to reconnect with his ex and his young son. Despite coming from two different worlds, an unlikely friendship starts to blossom as Dell and Phillip rediscover the joy of living life to the fullest.
Director
Neil Burger
Producer
Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch
Screenwriter
Jon Hartmere
Distributor
STX Films
Production Co
Escape Artists
Rating
PG-13 (Suggestive Content|Drug Use)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 11, 2019, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 14, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$108.2M
Runtime
2h 6m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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