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Vox Lux

Play trailer 1:53 Poster for Vox Lux R Released Dec 7, 2018 1h 50m Drama Music Play Trailer Watchlist
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62% Tomatometer 253 Reviews 36% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Celeste is a 13-year-old music prodigy who survives a horrific school shooting in Staten Island, N.Y., in 1999. Her talent shines through during the memorial service when she sings a song that touches the hearts of the mourners. Guided by her sister and a talent manager, the young phenom transforms into a rising pop star with a promising future. Eighteen years later, Celeste now finds herself on the comeback trail when a scandal, personal struggles and the pitfalls of fame threaten her career.
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Vox Lux

Vox Lux

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Critics Consensus

Intriguing albeit flawed, Vox Lux probes the allures and pitfalls of modern celebrity with intelligence, visual style, and an assured Natalie Portman performance.

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Critics Reviews

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Mark Kermode Kermode & Mayo's Film Review Very strange, not wholly successful, but Jude Law is fantastic in it, and I'd always rather watch a filmmaker take a risk..."A Dark Star is Born." May 6, 2019 Full Review Wendy Ide Observer (UK) It's episodic by design. Even so, the plot is prone to unnerving lurches, like a baked and boozed Celeste struggling to walk on high heels and spaghetti legs. Rated: 3/5 May 5, 2019 Full Review Kevin Maher The Times (UK) Beautifully directed by the former actor Brady Corbet...this is a dark and sometimes unnerving dissection of contemporary culture, and the violence and sensuality that drive it. Rated: 4/5 May 3, 2019 Full Review Calum Cooper Source (Scotland) Going alongside its interpretive story are strong visuals, a vivacious soundtrack, and some stellar performances, particularly from Cassidy and Portman. Rated: 3/5 Jul 14, 2024 Full Review Brittany Patrice Witherspoon Pop Culture Reviews When the film isn’t too hung up on its overzealous strategy of connecting violent tragedies and pop music, there are some beautiful moments in the film, though overshadowed by abrupt disruptions. Rated: 3/5 Jul 11, 2024 Full Review Serena Seghedoni Loud and Clear Reviews What makes Vox Lux so unique and perhaps even provocative is that it is up to us to establish when, how and in what way exactly her insecurities took over. The most important moments of [...] the whole film - are the ones we don't get to see on the screen Nov 4, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member A really well made movie from start to finish, but I did find parts of the movie less interesting than other parts. All of the performers are awesome, and I thought Jude Law really gave this movie a much needed sense of "levity", not necessarily as a comedic performance, but just a fun performance, and an interesting character to watch. I liked the young girl also, Raffey Cassidy. Natalie Portman is excellent in a very different type of role for her, which suited her well to be honest, but she can do anything. The flick has the classic Brady Corbet style, which is quite exquisite. It's worth a watch. Thank you! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/21/25 Full Review Audience Member Meh. I love Portman and Jude Law in a role that requires acting= always welcome, b/c he's great- but this film isn't about anything and sequenced poorly. The school shooting scene was one of the most remarkable and disturbing I've ever seen, unfortunately, it goes south from there. Nobody turns into somebody turns into A-hole,nothing to like about that. Also, why would you have a 20+minute segment of Portman's character performing on stage? They did like a whole set of music? Stupid. This almost feels like 3 different short stories smashed together to poor effect. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/22/25 Full Review A G This movie is in competition for worst ever. What's worse then callously exploiting the school shooting epidemic? Using it for a very long vapid, lifeless pop music promotional video. And there's lots of dead air, silence as to convey gravitas. I can't tell which performance was more wooden, Natalie Portman as Padme or this. At at least you could say in the first one she was portraying a clone. And the music is typical Sia: overwrought, "epic" trash. Worst thing I've witnessed in a long time. That's the most noteworthy thing about it. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/16/25 Full Review Chris O It's one of those movies where you wonder if she died in the beginning and the rest are her last thoughts before dying. I wonder if the narration by Willem DaFoe was tacked on last minute to try to pull the film together with some message. Not sure what it was. All I know is we better do everything to stop school shootings or we'll be inundated with very mediocre drug-addled pop stars. I mean if anyone survives. From the poster I was thinking it would be more like a rock opera. I was expecting Phantom of the Paradise or Hedwig and the Angry Inch. This was not that. No sense of humor at all. Passed the time but not essential. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/19/24 Full Review Alec B Lots of vague ideas about "culture" are raised but by the midway point it becomes clear that the movie has little to say about anything. Its just a beautifully photographed vanity project. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/08/24 Full Review Matthew P Those who rated this poorly, clearly didn't get the deeper meaning: america as a pop culture figure, the "performance" of america in light of the tragedies since 2001, how "america" is an idea being sold to the world rather than the truth of what it really is, america not holding itself accountable and tackling the tough truths of what it really means to live in here. how the performance of freedom and liberty is just as evil as the terrorism we see so fiercely fight against. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Vox Lux

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Movie Info

Synopsis Celeste is a 13-year-old music prodigy who survives a horrific school shooting in Staten Island, N.Y., in 1999. Her talent shines through during the memorial service when she sings a song that touches the hearts of the mourners. Guided by her sister and a talent manager, the young phenom transforms into a rising pop star with a promising future. Eighteen years later, Celeste now finds herself on the comeback trail when a scandal, personal struggles and the pitfalls of fame threaten her career.
Director
Brady Corbet
Producer
Andrew Lauren, D.J. Gugenheim, Michel Litvak, Svetlana Metkina, David Litvak, Brian Young, Gary Michael Walters, Robert Salerno, Christine Vachon, David Hinojosa
Screenwriter
Brady Corbet
Distributor
Neon
Production Co
Killer Films
Rating
R (Language|Drug Content|Some Strong Violence)
Genre
Drama, Music
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 7, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 4, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$727.1K
Runtime
1h 50m
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