As the title of this splatter comedy by writer-director Stuart Gordon indicates, he's like a bug stuck to her windshield, and that's about the level of humanity and insight one can expect here.
Stuck (2007)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:21
Fresh:16
Rotten:5
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
Get This Movie
Rent DVD
Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.
Buy DVD
Release:
Oct 7, 2008
Reviews for Stuck
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.
You might hope for fiction to bring insight to senseless cruelty, rather than augment the ignominy of the original crime.
There's no shortage of scenes that you'll watch through your fingers, groaning -- but you'll watch all the same.
Stuck is a shot at making a cult film that doesn't quite come off, which is too bad because Gordon is an intriguing filmmaker whose work is worth a look.
Deliciously twisted and divinely ill, Stuck does everything a good horror movie should: It contrasts the insane and the mundane, it reflects the social condition, and it offers jolt after jolt of gory surprise.
A quick and nasty social satire that comes with the 'inspired by a true story' avowal, Stuck melds horror and humor as it offers a literally lacerating portrait of humankind at its worst.
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?
Whether it's worth the price of a ticket is a matter of individual taste and whether there's sufficient interest in the premise to excuse the hit-and-miss execution.
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.
Stuart Gordon, the mostly under-the-radar director of Re-Animator, pops back into view with this amusing trifle -- a piece of scuzzy tabloid noir.
A taut drama that manages to be thoughtful without forgetting it's a creep-out.
Stuart Gordon's gorily amusing Stuck is essentially a B-movie with a single joke, albeit a pretty good -- if admittedly sick -- one.
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.
Stuck, while not strictly a horror film, is steeped in gore and carries a seam of mocking gallows humor as relentless as that of Sweeney Todd.
Stuck is genuinely suspenseful and grotesque. It may make you wonder why anyone thought it had to be made, but it is absorbingly macabre.
Stuck is both darkly comic and disgusting; the name alone reduces the crime to a sick joke.
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. ![]()
More...
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
| 53% 53% | David & Layla |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

TECHLAND gives us a first look at the extras, including Leonard Nimoy's last day on set!

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic


