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Upstream Color

Play trailer Poster for Upstream Color 2013 1h 36m Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
87% Tomatometer 145 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A woman (Amy Seimetz) unwittingly undergoes a series of bizarre experiments, then meets a kindred spirit (Shane Carruth) who may have experienced the same ordeal.

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Upstream Color

Upstream Color

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Critics Consensus

As technically brilliant as it is narratively abstract, Upstream Color represents experimental American cinema at its finest -- and reaffirms Shane Carruth as a talent to watch.

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Critics Reviews

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Amy Taubin Film Comment Magazine Aug 28, 2019
Upstream Color is a gorgeous movie-the play of sunlight in the visuals is exquisite-but its images of intestinal parasites are, well, off-putting. Go to Full Review Larushka Ivan-Zadeh metro.co.uk Sep 5, 2017
4/5
Blending languorous visual sensuality with a driving sense of paranoid urgency, this metaphorical mix of skin-crawling body horror and Lynchian mystery boasts a compelling dream logic that offsets its huge potential for being pretentious studenty twaddle. Go to Full Review Wesley Morris Grantland Jan 3, 2014
What the movie points to is worth following until you're left with an enormous map that you spend the rest of the drive trying to refold. Go to Full Review Erick Estrada Cinegarage Sep 14, 2023
Disconcerting and unrealistic, malevolent and organic, emotional and bleak, Upstream Color is undoubtedly an experience that challenges those who call themselves cinephiles but rewards those who know that history exists as long as one forgets about it... Go to Full Review Prahlad Srihari Firstpost Jul 24, 2020
4.5/5
Parasitic worms and pig farms, past and present, real and surreal, Whitman and Thoreau all come together in this strangely sensual concoction. Go to Full Review Brent McKnight The Last Thing I See Jul 9, 2020
A
Thematically huge, spiritual in nature, sweeping and epic despite a seemingly limited scope, this is a story about the human experience, about healing yourself and others, and that defies easy classification. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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A J @RT09090618 Nov 15, 2025 One of the most disturbing movies I've ever seen. I can't unsee it. Brilliant in its way. But I'd avoid it a second time. See more Georgan G @RT98616417 Feb 28, 2024 All for experimental film and the cinematography here was truly beautiful. However, I did not understand the plot at all. See more David W @RT91245001 Sep 20, 2023 Describing this film as experimental is somewhat apt, though misguided might be more so. The plot is frustratingly difficult to follow. Having seen it all the way through, I could barely tell you what it is about. Dynamic audiovisuals keep the viewer's interest. Having seen this once, I feel no desire to watch it again. See more Emilliano Jr S @emill_santos Aug 24, 2023 Sci-fi & romance don't go along sometimes. See more Andy B @AndyB21 Apr 21, 2023 I still do not know what to make of this film. Not good, not bad, just bizarre. See more Siriporn P @Malee Feb 9, 2023 Difficult to understand. Quite abstract and dreamy portrayal. See more Read all reviews
Upstream Color

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Cast & Crew

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Shane Carruth

Director

Amy Seimetz

Kris

Shane Carruth

Jeff

Andrew Sensenig

The Sampler

Thiago Martins

Thief

Kathy Carruth

Orchid Mother

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Upstream Color

Upstream Color (2013) Amy Seimetz as Kris and Shane Carruth as Jeff in "Upstream Color." Shane Carruth as Jeff and Amy Seimetz as Kris in "Upstream Color." Upstream Color (2013) Upstream Color (2013) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A woman (Amy Seimetz) unwittingly undergoes a series of bizarre experiments, then meets a kindred spirit (Shane Carruth) who may have experienced the same ordeal.
Director
Shane Carruth
Producer
Shane Carruth, Casey Gooden, Ben LeClair
Screenwriter
Shane Carruth
Production Co
ERBP
Genre
Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 5, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$415.1K
Runtime
1h 36m
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