Urban Hymn

Released May 12, 2017

1 hr. 54 min.

Drama

Music

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List

58%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

76%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

A social worker helps a young female offender who has a remarkable voice recognize her potential.

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Critics Consensus

Urban Hymn follows a familiar outline, but does so with enough palpable feeling that it's easy to forgive the film's flaws.

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r 9

Excellent! 'Urban Hymn' is much more heartfelt and meaningful than I thought it would be. It avoids doing the usual, over-the-top thing of making every kid in the film a wannabe gangster and making them all silly criminals. Don't get me wrong, it does have shades of that but I feel it portrays it in a much more subtle manner than most films of this type do. The cast are brilliant. Letitia Wright gives a superb performance as Jamie, I believed in her character from the get-go; which is thanks to the writing et al. but also to Wright. Isabella Laughland as Leanne is very good, as is Shirley Henderson as Kate. The support cast are also well chosen. One thing I will note is that the film does peak a little too early. The first half of it is fantastic, as is the rest all in all but it does drop off slightly once everything's been understood. It is also somewhat predictable, though that's not a negative thing if the production makes it work - which this does. Well worth your viewing time. A weighty story with a convincing cast.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Very good acting and story. Very realistic but way to bleak in places,

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

As a 20 year old woman, coming-of-age movies are important to me as I connect and relate to them very easily. One of the best coming-of-age films I've seen is Urban Hymn, which follows Kate, a social worker, who tries to help Jamie, a troubled teen, turn her life around. The reason I loved this movie so much is it explored all the different scenarios and emotions each character goes through in such an authentic way. Isabella Laughland's (Harry Potter, Black Mirror) performance as Leanne will exist as one of my favorite characters in history, even though it is so easy to hate her in this film. I recommend this if you want to watch an engaging and emotional movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Urban Hymn is a sensitive, yet emotionally gripping story about moving past obstacles to reach a better place. It follows a troubled teenager who is taken in by a social work to be mentored towards reaching her true talents in music. What follows is a lovely, small, yet powerful film about the goodwill of people, and how believing someone can truly make a remarkable difference. The success of the film should be credited to its actors, who embrace and give each scene a warm vibrancy with welcomed naturalistic acting. The director, Michael Caton-Jones, knows how to block a scene and let the actors do what they do best. It's a perfectly paced feel good movie that'll touch anyone's heart on a Tuesday night.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Music and film come together so delightfully in Urban Hymn. Director Michael Caton-Jones delicately weaves choir and soul music into a coming-of-age film that follows a troubled teenage girl in a group home. Jamie Harrison has yielded to a life of violence and theft, but social worker Kate Linton sees through her rough façade and dedicates her time at the group home to helping Jamie. Through the power of music, Kate is able to show Jamie her own talents and leads her towards a path of success and acceptance. Jamie's inspiring transformation mirrors that of any teenager, which makes the film so relatable. Her actions throughout the film prove that she is just as flawed as anyone else, making her successes shine even more brightly. The film is a tear-jerker from start to finish and I loved every second of it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Urban Hymn, directed by Michael Caton-Jones, is an exceptional coming of age narrative about a troubled teenage girl named Jamie, and the inspiring and uplifting journey she embarks on after meeting her new social worker, Kate Linton. Through her love of music, Jamie is able to form a friendship with Kate which allows her to finally open herself up to all the opportunities, that at one time, she could only dream of. My favorite aspect of the film was the realistic portrayal of the characters which made each scene seem that much more believable and grounded in truth. Overall, I was really inspired by this heartwarming and inspirational narrative and highly recommend this film for any and all film fans out there!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Michael Caton-Jones

Director

Shirley Henderson

Kate Linton

Steven Mackintosh

David Linton

Ian Hart

Ian Wilson

Shaun Parkes

Charlie

Letitia Wright

Jamie Harrison

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Urban Hymn: Trailer 1

2:10

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Brad Wheeler

Globe and Mail

An unimaginative drama, carried by solid acting ... but let down by an unspectacular script that includes lines such as, "surviving and living are two different things!"

Rated: 2/4

May 12, 2017

Full Review

Kimber Myers

Los Angeles Times

"Urban Hymn" is so carefully and lovingly made by director Michael Caton-Jones and his leads that it's hard to begrudge the British drama its familiar premise, especially as you squint at the screen through tears.

May 11, 2017

Full Review

Leah Pickett

Chicago Reader

What begins as a gritty, documentary-style dive into the young women's world -- they're introduced as looters during the 2011 Tottenham riots -- quickly devolves into a Lifetime movie.

May 11, 2017

Full Review

Janire Zurbano

Cinemanía (Spain)

A melody that, like any refrain of a summer song, is dedicated to reinterpreting the eternal rhythm, and wasting its potential. Or, in this case, that of its protagonists. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 2.5/5

Mar 28, 2018

Full Review

Matthew Bond

The Mail on Sunday (UK)

Worth a look.

Rated: 3/5

Oct 18, 2017

Full Review

Betty Jo Tucker

ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Be sure to stay to see the artistic staging of the movie's final musical number. It ends up being a wonderful scene to remember, despite the heartache that comes before.

May 19, 2017

Full Review

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Synopsis

A social worker helps a young female offender who has a remarkable voice recognize her potential.

Director: Michael Caton-Jones
Executive Producer: Brian Berg, Phil Hunt, Anwar Kawadri, Ibrahim Dashishah
Screenwriter: Nick Moorcroft
Distributor: Level 33 Entertainment
Genre: Drama, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 12, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 22, 2017

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