What Richard Did

2012

1 hr. 27 min.

Drama

List

91%

47 Reviews

Tomatometer

60%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Richard takes his friends to his parents' beach house to celebrate the end of the school year. He gets jealous after his girlfriend, Lara, chats with an ex-boyfriend, then he causes a tragic accident by getting into a fight.

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Critics Consensus

Guided by a vividly sympathetic turn from Jack Reynor, What Richard Did explores its devastating story with probing, disquieting realism.

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J M

This critically acclaimed Irish movie is earnest and has moments of realistic emotion and heartbreak, but I found the whole thing deadly dull - to the point of apathy. Way too much time is spent setting up the story and introducing us to the characters, none of whom are all that interesting. I'm all for good exposition, but this is just a group of teens drinking and making out and doing all the things teens do. We learn practically nothing beyond the bare bones of what is required for us to understand what will soon transpire. Reynor is actually quite good - I vaguely remember him from MIDSOMMAR, a movie I loved so much a few years ago. And while I love a good ambiguous ending, this feels like the last reel of the film was stolen. A couple moments between Richard and his dad are very moving, but considering the severity of what happens here, I found myself cold throughout. Abrahamson also made the Oscar-winning ROOM, another critically acclaimed film I couldn't recommend. So perhaps Lenny and I simply don't mesh. It happens. - Jeff Marshall, Movie Blogger (Facebook)

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/18/24

Full Review

Audience Member

The movie was okay but the ending left u perplexed

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

A very disappointing ending.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

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leonardo j

Beautiful movie! Beautiful scenery, good actors and a plot that makes think about life and its surprises.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Dublin'de bir okulun popüler çocuğu olan, geleceği parlak görülen Richard'ın bir yaz gecesi kıskançlık ve öfke sebebiyle bir anda değişen hikâyesi. Kevin Power'ın romanından sinemaya uyarlanan film ne vicdani meselelere, ne de iç çatışmalara taraf tutarak bakıyor. Meselesini ağırlığı ve tarafsız kalayım derken derinleşememesi nedeniyle yeterince iyi aydınlatamıyor. Tutup da bir Raskolnikov beklemeyin.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

nefasto r

This movie is loosely based on Kevin Power's Bad Day in Blackrock, a novel itself loosely based on a real story, so I do not think there is much reality in it, although the best thing in "What Richard Did" is that feels real, honest. Shame that the film does not have much more going beside that: a simple morality story that does not feel neither new nor particularly intense.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Lenny Abrahamson

Director

Jack Reynor

Richard Karlsen

Roisin Murphy

Lara Hogan

Sam Keeley

Conor Harris

Gavin Drea

Stephen O'Brien

Fionn Walton

Cian Fox

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

This is thought-provoking, perceptive film-making.

Apr 30, 2020

Full Review

Jonathan Romney

Independent (UK)

The film has a mesmerisingly vivid things-just-happen feel to it.

Apr 30, 2020

Full Review

Stephen Dalton

Hollywood Reporter

If What Richard Did is sometimes a little too understated for its own good, this is still a classy piece of work which convincingly captures the emotionally complex, morally murky texture of real life.

Apr 30, 2020

Full Review

Jared Mobarak

The Film Stage

It's a tough tale of adolescence and the preciousness of life that hits a whole new level of emotion in the aftermath of its life-altering event.

Rated: B

Apr 30, 2020

Full Review

Joe Bendel

Epoch Times

While [Lenny] Abrahamson's patience in setting the scene and establishing the social dynamics among the characters is admirable, his efforts make the film top-heavy with exposition and rather repetitive carousing sequences.

Apr 30, 2020

Full Review

Alan Corr

RTÉ (Ireland)

The young, largely unknown cast are uniformly superb with Jack Reynor outstanding as Richard as he carries him from initial buoyant confidence into crisis and then, the final descent into self-flagellating acceptance.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 30, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Richard takes his friends to his parents' beach house to celebrate the end of the school year. He gets jealous after his girlfriend, Lara, chats with an ex-boyfriend, then he causes a tragic accident by getting into a fight.

Director: Lenny Abrahamson
Executive Producer: Andrew Lowe
Screenwriter: Malcolm Campbell
Production Co: Element Pictures, Bord Scannan na hEireann / Irish Film Board
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 15, 2014

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