Starred Up (2013)
Storyline
19-year-old Eric, arrogant and ultra-violent, is prematurely transferred to the same adult prison facility as his estranged father. As his explosive temper quickly finds him enemies in both prison authorities and fellow inmates — and his already volatile relationship with his father is pushed past breaking point — Eric is approached by a volunteer psychotherapist, who runs an anger management group for prisoners. Torn between gang politics, prison corruption, and a glimmer of something better, Eric finds himself in a fight for his own life, unsure if his own father is there to protect him or join in punishing him.
Directors
Cast
Gilly Gilchrist, David Avery, Ben Mendelsohn, Sam Spruell, Anthony Welsh, David Ajala, C.C. Smiff, Rupert Friend, Jack O'Connell, Peter Ferdinando, Ashley Chin, Mark Asante, Gershwyn Eustache Jnr, Sian Breckin, Frederick Schmidt, Edna Caskey, Duncan Airlie James, Matt Faris, Tommy McDonnell, James Doran, Ian Beattie, Jonathan Asser, Paddy Rocks, Darren Hart, Raphael Sowole, Basil Abdul-Latif, Aisha Walters, Paul Lewis Ferguson, Ryan McKenna, Anthony Adjekum, Amma Boateng
Trailer
Reviews
91
Mackenzie (whose previous credits include "Perfect Sense" and "Young Adam") applies a sharp kitchen sink realism to this haunting setting and directs it toward an ultimately moving family drama that just happens to involve vicious convicts.
91
The supporting cast all do excellent work too, but this is Eric’s story, and so it’s O’Connell’s film. His performance is a revelation.
90
Though it is, finally, an affecting story of two damaged men bound by blood and something like love (and also a thrillerish catalog of double crosses and shifting allegiances), it is, above all, a study in the patterns of chaos that govern penitentiary life.
88
Slant Magazine
The cautious optimism with which it answers questions about rehabilitation and forgiveness is credible because the characters and setting feel so thoroughly authentic.
80
Empire
A brutal, immersive prison survival story with a breakout performance by British actor Jack O’Connell.
