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Starred Up

Play trailer Poster for Starred Up 2014 1h 40m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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99% Tomatometer 116 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
An explosive teenager runs into his equally violent father after being switched to an adult prison from a facility for juveniles.

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Starred Up

Starred Up

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Critics Consensus

Smart, hard-hitting, and queasily realistic, Starred Up is an instant classic of U.K. prison cinema.

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Audience Reviews

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T M @RT55749265 Apr 29 Brutal prison drama, which will have you wincing at times as it takes a raw look at the lock up. Not quite the docu drama I thought it was going to be from the beginning. This packs a punch though. Testosterone fuelled fights, revenge beatings and the politics of fear. There is an attempt at redemption for our hero but the pain of family cuts deep. This will keep you watching though. It's fairly gripping. See more spoko S @spoko Apr 14 I had seen this film before, but it’s been a few years, and I had forgotten just how good it is. Every single performance is pitch perfect—obviously Jack O’Connell and Ben Mendelsohn in particular. There is so much complexity in the characters and their relationships, and it comes through so naturally. It’s somehow kind of easy and unsettling at the same time. The plot is gripping; by the end, both these characters have shifted dramatically, but it doesn’t stretch credibility at all. It’s a powerful set up and delivery. See more Igor S @Igor_Sena Aug 29 Solid movie all around. Good tension, good drama, and good representation of disfunctional relationships; even if a bit silly or over the top at times. I don't give it that last star because of the ending and near ending. I get real life isn't a fairy tale and sometimes "the bad guys win" or get away with certain things, but the ending makes the movie feel incomplete. See more Stoner J @Stoner Aug 9 It’s a good U.K. prison drama, not a thriller nor crime-thriller as described. There are a couple intense moments though. For me, it’s too incomplete with the ending by it had but the point comes across. See more Tim B @primetime21 01/16/2025 Awesome movie! Great acting and directing. It's a redemption song for sure! See more Jonathan K @aFIREintheattic 11/24/2024 I genuinely had no idea where this was going or what the arc would be. But I'll say this, it will stick with you. It has some very good performances and a solid tone. The father-son dynamic almost gets silly at one point when they're hurling insults at each other, but overall it's a not so subtle, but somehow still nuanced, story about reconciliation and facing one's demons. See more Read all reviews
Starred Up

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis An explosive teenager runs into his equally violent father after being switched to an adult prison from a facility for juveniles.
Director
David Mackenzie
Producer
Gillian Berrie, Brian Coffey
Screenwriter
Jonathan Asser
Distributor
Tribeca Film
Production Co
Northern Ireland Screen, Creative Scotland, Sigma, Quickfire Films, Lipsync Productions, Film4
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 27, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 28, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$34.1K
Runtime
1h 40m