Plot
Eric, 19, is "starred up" from a juvenile prison to a high security adult prison, based on his age and his history of violent behaviour. His father, Neville, is serving a life sentence at this prison, and is a lieutenant for the crime boss that runs the prison. Eric soon begins attacking guards and inmates alike, but is rescued from retribution from the guards by Oliver, a volunteer prison therapist, who convinces Eric to join his therapy group.
The group is composed of black men who also have violent pasts, which they are trying to confront. The sessions often degrade into angry, posturing tirades by members against others, which Oliver de-escalates but uses to help them understand their rage. Eric begins to observe this format, and also bond with the other group members. While his father has ordered him to "learn to behave" from the therapist, he is annoyed by his son "fraternising" with blacks. But when three inmates are paid with drugs to "dunk" Eric in his toilet, one of his black group-mates steps in to save him.
The father and son have an explosive up and down relationship, with the father attempting to instill his dominance, and make Eric follow the prison rules so he can get out. When Eric however attempts to explain his feelings to the uncomfortable Neville, Eric intuits that his father is in a romantic relationship with his cellmate, and is disgusted by it.
The boss, Dennis, appears to begin to mentor Eric, seeing his younger self in Eric. However, after Eric attacks Dennis, Dennis orders the prison director to kill Eric. While Neville is telling Dennis that he will not abide the death of his son, prison guards in the basement begin to hang Eric, so it will look like suicide. But when Dennis goes to stab Neville, Neville overpowers him and stabs him, then runs down and rescues Eric.
As Neville is being transferred out, the guards allow father and son a tender moment.
Reception
Starred Up was praised for its acting (particularly for Jack O'Connell, Ben Mendelsohn and Rupert Friend), David Mackenzie's direction, realism and the father-son dynamic of Asser's screenplay. Film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 99% out of 108 critical reviews about the film were positive, with an average score of 7.9/10. The website's critical consensus states, "Smart, hard-hitting and queasily realistic, Starred Up is an instant classic“ of UK prison cinema. [19] Metacritic, another review aggregator, assigned the film a weighted average score of 81 out of 100 based on 26 reviews from mainstream critics. [20]
Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter spoke highly of the piece, particularly the "unpredictable dynamic between Eric and his father Neville", and praised the acting performance of O'Connell, "Young actor Jack O'Connell is the main attraction in this tough British drama", adding, "O'Connell would seem to have live wires running through his whole body and it should be very interesting to follow his career from here on." [21] David Sexton of the Evening Standard praised the film, commenting that, "Starred Up is the finest British-made prison drama for a long time, courting comparison even with the likes of A Man Escaped ." [22] Guy Lodge of HitFix was complimentary about O'Connell's performance: "O'Connell's scuzzy charisma and chippy swagger has enlivened a handful of B-level Britpics in the past, though his presence has never been so fearsomely concentrated as it is here." [23]
Peter Debruge of Variety noted praise of Mackenzie, remarking, "Mackenzie isn't attempting to craft a larger-than-life antihero here, but delving into the sociology of this hellish subculture, where prisoners and staff alike coexist in this dehumanizing environment." and that of Asser, "Asser brings more than just realism, however, crafting the central father-son relationship on the foundation of classical Greek tragedy." [24] Tim Robey of The Daily Telegraph commented, "Prison films have always had their share of surrogate father-son bonding, so there's something satisfying about making it biological - it's a shrewd twist in the formula." [25] Tom Huddleston of Time Out stated, "For the most part this is furiously compelling stuff, convincingly mounted and superbly acted." [26]
Rich Cline of Shadows on the Wall, while noting that the piece "deploys cliché in the prison-thriller genre", also opined that "it continually twists its story in more personal directions, which allows the fine cast to create vividly intense characters". Furthermore, praising the acting, "O'Connell delivers a powerfully involving performance that captures Eric's inner emotional energy with remarkable balance", as well as praising the performances of Mendelsohn and Friend. And Mackenzie's "earthy, edgy direction." [27] Lisa Giles-Keddie of HeyUGuys praised Mackenzie's film and the underlying angle, "exploring the miserable fallout of domestic violence on children". She continued by praising the performances of O'Connell and Mendelsohn, citing, "Some outstanding performances from O'Connell and Mendelsohn, both hugely exciting actors in British cinema today." As well as Mackenzie's "commendable direction" and "talent". [28] Jessica Kiang of IndieWire gave the film an "A−" rating, stating, "Starred Up, like its characters, never loses face, never compromises its bloodily-earned hard-man cred, yet its real agenda is one of compassion." and praising the acting, commentating, "Mendelsohn is amazing" and "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." [29] Allan Hunter of Screen International commended the father-son relationship of the piece, "A complex father/son relationship is viewed through a raw depiction of prison life in the riveting Starred Up." [30]
Jason Gorber of Twitch gave the film a "B" rating, stating "Starred Up is a gritty, intense and shockingly unique take on the prison drama genre." Heralds the acting O'Connell and Mendelsohn, "O'Connell's performance is one of the finest of the year, and Mendelsohn once again demonstrates his unique brand of cold hearted intensity.", as well as Asser's screenplay, "Asser captures life in the system with enormous clarity." And notes the depth in its execution, "Shakespearean in its levels of violence and manipulation". [31] Anton Bitel of Eye for Film stated, "McKenzie's [film comes with] high ambition in the pecking order of the prison flick - a subgenre known to be overcrowded, hierarchically organised and unforgivingly hostile to any weaker new entries." Adding, "Clichés are avoided by the complicated characterisation of both Neville and Oliver." [32]
Emma Simmonds of The List spoke positively and commented, "Starred Up gives you a good sharp shake and, in doing so, truly opens your eyes". Describing Asser's script as "authentically abrasive and peppered with welcome snatches of humour" and both Mackenzie and cinematographer Michael McDonough as being able to "capture the volatility of the environment without surrendering sensitivity to character". [33] Chris Bumbray of JoBlo.com was most praising of the piece, especially the acting performances. In regard to Mendelsohn he stated, "[Mendelsohn] manages to hold his own opposite O'Connell's almost Brando-like performance." And of O'Connell, "O'Connell is brilliant, managing to give Eric a kind of Bronson-like intensity, although they keep him sympathetic in that it's clear that his rage is a by-product of a vicious upbringing." [34]
Eric Kohn of IndieWire gave the piece an "A−" rating, commenting of director Mackenzie, "Pushing beyond the brutal exterior of his material, Mackenzie reveals the tender story of estrangement beneath, but never forces the sentimentality." And additional, "British director David Mackenzie's gradually affecting "Starred Up" has all those ingredients but uses them for more precise means that merely revealing the harsh nature of life behind bars. Mackenzie 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." [35]
Mark Kermode of The Observer gave a positive review, commenting, "Mackenzie keeps us grounded in the maze of prison life, coaxing powerful performances from his cast, each apparently encouraged and emboldened to find their own space." Speaking highly of Friend's performance as "terrifically edgy" and describing O'Connell's as "[An] electrified and electrifying performance" furthering such a statement by remarking "there's a hint of the young Malcolm McDowell about him". He concludes by praising cinematographer Michael McDonough's ability to "[capture] the claustrophobia of the physical environment without reducing the characters within the frame". [36]
