Stuck is disturbing in all the right ways, turning an incredible real-life story of human callousness and suffering into a tawdry entertainment that makes guffawing, sociopathic rubbernecks of us all.
Stuck (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:85
Fresh:62
Rotten:23
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Steeped in gallows humor, Stuck is a taut, tense examination of a tragic accident.
Theatrical Release:May 30, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: Best known for his horror classics RE-ANIMATOR (1985), FROM BEYOND (1986), and DOLLS (1987), director Stuart Gordon turned to character-driven thrillers in the early 2000s with KING OF THE ANTS... Best known for his horror classics RE-ANIMATOR (1985), FROM BEYOND (1986), and DOLLS (1987), director Stuart Gordon turned to character-driven thrillers in the early 2000s with KING OF THE ANTS (2003) and EDMOND (2005). STUCK continues in that vein, exploring humankind's potential for cruelty toward one another. Inspired by real events, this is a bloody and disturbing revenge film with a pitch-black sense of humor and a handful of fine performances. Tom Bardo (Stephen Rea) is having a bad Friday. He's out of work and preparing for an interview at the employment agency when he is suddenly evicted from apartment. A computer glitch then causes him to spend the entire day waiting for his interview, then is turned away. With nowhere left to go, he finds himself sleeping on a park bench, only to be rousted by a cop. Enter Brandi (Mena Suvari), a corn-rowed nursing assistant heading home after a night of partying. Talking on the phone and driving under the influence, Brandi hits Tom, sending him crashing halfway through her windshield. Afraid of the consequences, she chooses to drive home, park the car in her garage, and not tell anyone. But Tom, despite this indignant end to a terrible day, still has some fight left in him. Based on true events that occurred in 2002 in Fort Worth, Texas, STUCK boldly plays on the grim absurdity of the situation. John Strysik's smart script pokes fun at the macho posturing of thug culture and the sad implications of a society where there are no exceptions to the "no snitching" policy. Suvari gives a wild, fun performance, and Rea's likable Tom is a prototypical underdog. Funny, painful, and crowd-pleasing, this is truly and proudly a B-movie, and a worthy addition to Gordon's impressive body of work. [More]
Starring: Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea, Russell Hornsby, Rukiya Bernard
Starring: Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea, Russell Hornsby, Rukiya Bernard, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Wayne Robson, R.D. Reid, Patrick McKenna, Sharlene Royer
Director: Stuart Gordon
Director: Stuart Gordon
Screenwriter: John Strysik
Story: Stuart Gordon
Producer: Stuart Gordon, Christian Arnold-Beutel, Robert Katz, Jay Firestone, Ken Gord
Composer: Bobby Johnston
Studio: ThinkFilm
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Release:
Oct 7, 2008
Reviews for Stuck
You could see it all as a darkly bizarre tale that just might be true
Grandiose claims have been made in some quarters for this nasty, economical little film, but it does what it sets out to do pretty well.
Although I had to cover my eyes at least a half-dozen times, the movie is altogether gripping, possibly Gordon's best since the '80s.
The question is why the time, talent and treasure of such energetic and even gifted artists have been marshaled in such a disgusting and trivial genre exercise and what viewers are supposed to get out of it. Isn't life hard enough?
disturbing in all the right ways, turning an incredible real-life story of human callousness and suffering into a tawdry entertainment that makes guffawing, sociopathic rubbernecks of us all.
There's no shortage of scenes that you'll watch through your fingers, groaning -- but you'll watch all the same.
Unlike the worthless torture porn that is destroying the genre, Stuck is a horror movie with a reason for being.
Gordon's inventions — vivid, gruesome and occasionally quite funny — offer a just-deserts ending and make both characters surprisingly active participants in their fates.
It's well-acted, suspenseful and has funny sex and drugs stuff, too. Gordon, who co-wrote with fellow Chicagoan John Strysik, based Stuck on a true incident, which makes it even more enjoyable in a sick kind of way.
I wasn't expecting much, so I wasn't overly disappointed... but I do expect better from the man behind RE-ANIMATOR and FROM BEYOND.
Gordon is a masterful storyteller when he's clicking on all cylinders. It's his best film in years.
Stuck gives a boost to the dramatic elements of the story, while preserving the stern lesson about a society crumbling under the weight of self-interest and moral decay.
It's an energetic B-movie with pulpy magnetism. Think of it as slapstick social realism.
The movie's tone shifts all over the place until it's such a blur you're not sure which parts are working and which aren't.
The over-the-top tale becomes a tense and unsettling duel. This is not enjoyable entertainment, but it is brutally watchable. Writer/director Stuart Gordon seeks to expose our uncaring, self-absorbed society and also the unflagging will to live.
Quite happily politically incorrect, Stuck pins everyone, including viewers.
Uninspired by a true story, the first 20 minutes before the collision are entertaining but, after metal hits flesh, you can almost hear the premise creaking as it’s stretched to feature length, resulting in some of the dullest moments I can remember.
Latest News for Stuck
May 29, 2008:
Critical Consensus: Sex and the City Will Please Fans
This week at the movies, we've got love and commerce (Sex and the City: The Movie, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall) and romantic getaways gone wrong (The... More...
May 29, 2008:
Stuck Just the Latest Offbeat Choice for Suvari ![]()
With this Friday's Stuck, Mena Suvari adds another strange chapter to the decidedly un-Hollywood story she's written for herself since starring in American Beauty. More...
May 27, 2008:
Surprisingly taut and absorbing, even if you're already familiar with the famous case it is loosely based upon. ![]()
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