Topside (film)

Last updated

Topside
Topside (film).jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Written by
  • Celine Held
  • Logan George
Produced by
  • Anthony Bregman
  • Peter Cron
  • Kara Durrett
  • Jonathan Montepare
  • Melina Lizette
  • Josh Godfrey
  • Daniel Crown
Starring
CinematographyLowell A. Meyer
Edited byLogan George
Music byDavid Baloche
Production
companies
Distributed by Vertical Entertainment
Release dates
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Topside is a 2020 American drama film written and directed by Celine Held and Logan George. It stars Zhaila Farmer, Celine Held, Jared Abrahamson, and Fatlip. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2020. It was released in the United States on March 25, 2022, by Vertical Entertainment.

Contents

Synopsis

In New York City, a mother and daughter live in abandoned subway tunnels underneath the city. When events force them elsewhere, they flee aboveground where they confront a difficult night in wintertime. [1]

Cast

Release

The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival in September 2020. [3] Then it made its U.S. premiere at the South by Southwest, where it won the Jury Award for Best Director. [4] In February 2022, Vertical Entertainment acquired the film's distribution rights. [5]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 73% of 15 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.1/10. [6]

Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter called it "A striking debut, cinematic and affecting." [2] Eric Kohn of IndieWire wrote, "The whole concept of a lo-fi New York movie shot on the streets has been done and redone so many times that it risks cliché, but Topside works as well it does because it never tries to reinvent that playbook." [7]

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film a negative review and wrote, "Everyone here means well, and there’s a commitment to the entire venture that’s admirable, but this falls deep into what is often referred to as “poverty porn,” something that feels more manipulative in its depiction of misery than genuinely empathetic or artistic." [8]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judy Greer</span> American actress (born 1975)

Judith Therese Evans, known professionally as Judy Greer, is an American actress. She is primarily known as a character actress who has appeared in a wide variety of films. She rose to prominence for her supporting roles in the films Jawbreaker (1999), What Women Want (2000), 13 Going on 30 (2004), Elizabethtown (2005), 27 Dresses (2008), and Love & Other Drugs (2010).

<i>Hide Away</i> (film) 2011 film directed by Chris Eyre

Hide Away, also known as A Year in Mooring, is a 2011 American psychological drama film directed by Chris Eyre. It stars Josh Lucas as a successful businessman attempting to resurrect his life, with Ayelet Zurer, Jon Tenney, Taylor Nichols, and James Cromwell in supporting roles.

<i>Girl on a Bicycle</i> (film) 2013 film by Jeremy Leven

Girl on a Bicycle is a 2013 English-language German independent romantic comedy written and directed by Jeremy Leven, produced by Quirin Berg and Max Wiedemann, and starring Vincenzo Amato, Nora Tschirner, Paddy Considine, Louise Monot, and Stéphane Debac. Girl on a Bicycle was filmed in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, and Paris, France.

<i>Coming Through the Rye</i> (film) 2015 American drama film

Coming Through the Rye is a 2015 American coming-of-age drama film written and directed by James Steven Sadwith. It stars Alex Wolff and Stefania LaVie Owen as two teenagers who set out to find author J. D. Salinger, played by Chris Cooper. The film is based on Sadwith's own quest to find Salinger. It is Sadwith's directorial debut.

<i>The Strange Ones</i> 2017 American film

The Strange Ones is a 2017 American thriller drama film directed by Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein, and written by Christopher Radcliff. It is a feature-length adaptation of a short film directed by Radcliff and Wolkstein in 2011. The film stars Alex Pettyfer, James Freedson-Jackson, Emily Althaus, Gene Jones, Owen Campbell, and Tobias Campbell. It was released on DirecTV on December 7, 2017, before arriving on video on demand and in theaters on January 5, 2018, released by Vertical Entertainment.

They Remain is a 2018 American thriller film written and directed by Philip Gelatt and starring Rebecca Henderson and William Jackson Harper. It is based on Laird Barron's short story -30-.

<i>Pink Wall</i> 2019 British independent romantic drama film

Pink Wall is a 2019 British independent romantic drama film written and directed by Tom Cullen and starring Tatiana Maslany and Jay Duplass. It is Cullen's directorial debut.

<i>Disappearance at Clifton Hill</i> 2019 Canadian thriller film

Disappearance at Clifton Hill is a 2019 Canadian thriller film, directed by Albert Shin. The film stars Tuppence Middleton as Abby, a young woman who returns home to Niagara Falls, Ontario, when she inherits a family-owned motel in the city's Clifton Hill tourist district following her mother's death, and becomes obsessed with reconstructing inchoate childhood memories of witnessing a kidnapping.

<i>The 24th</i> 2020 American historical drama film

The 24th is an American historical drama film co-written and directed by Kevin Willmott. The film stars Trai Byers, Bashir Salahuddin, Aja Naomi King, Mo McRae, Tosin Morohunfola, Mykelti Williamson, and Thomas Haden Church. It generally tells a story of the Houston riot of 1917.

<i>Kubrick by Kubrick</i> 2020 documentary film

Kubrick by Kubrick is a 2020 documentary film directed by Gregory Monro about the film director Stanley Kubrick.

<i>My Darling Vivian</i> 2020 American film

My Darling Vivian is a 2020 American documentary film about Vivian Liberto, the first wife of Johnny Cash, directed by Matt Riddlehoover.

<i>Gunda</i> (2020 film) 2020 documentary film

Gunda is a 2020 documentary film directed, co-written, and co-edited by Viktor Kossakovsky. The film follows the daily life of a pig, two cows, and a one-legged chicken. Joaquin Phoenix serves as an executive producer.

Celine Held is an American and British film director, writer, and actress. Her debut feature film Topside, co-directed with her partner Logan George, premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival. Her short film Caroline that she co-wrote, co-directed and starred in, was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Her additional short film work has premiered at Sundance Film Festival and at South by Southwest.

Paper Spiders is a 2020 American drama film directed by Inon Shampanier, written by Natalie and Inon Shampanier, and starring Lili Taylor and Stefania LaVie Owen. It tells the story of a high school girl struggling to help her mother, whose paranoid delusions spiral out of control. It is described as "a bittersweet story about coming of age in the shadow of mental illness."

<i>Linoleum</i> (film) 2022 film by Colin West

Linoleum is a 2022 American science fiction comedy-drama film written and directed by Colin West and starring Jim Gaffigan.

<i>Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street</i> 2021 American documentary film

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street is a 2021 American documentary film directed by Marilyn Agrelo. Based on the non-fiction book Street Gang by Michael Davis, the film chronicles the development and airing of the children's television program Sesame Street, featuring interviews with series creators Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett, as well as writers, actors, and artists involved in its creation.

Logan George is an American film director, writer, and editor. George works exclusively with his partner, Celine Held, as a co-writer and co-director. His debut feature film Topside premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival. His short film work has been nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, and has premiered at Sundance Film Festival and Telluride Film Festival.

No Future is a 2021 American drama film directed by Mark Smoot and Andrew Irvine and starring Catherine Keener, Charlie Heaton, Rosa Salazar, Jefferson White and Jackie Earle Haley.

<i>The Long Game</i> (film) 2023 film by Julio Quintana

The Long Game is a 2023 American historical sports drama film adaptation of Humberto G. Garcia's 2010 book Mustang Miracle. The film is directed by Julio Quintana and stars Jay Hernandez, Julian Works, Jaina Lee Ortiz, Brett Cullen, Oscar Nuñez, Paulina Chávez, Gregory Diaz IV, José Julián, Cheech Marin, and Dennis Quaid. The film was released theatrically in the United States by Mucho Mas Media on April 12, 2024.

A Picture of You is a 2014 American drama film written and directed by J.P. Chan and starring Jo Mei, Andrew Pang, Teyonah Parris, Lucas Dixon and Jodi Long.

References

  1. "Topside". Elo Films. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Linden, Sheri (September 8, 2020). "'Topside': Film Review; Venice 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  3. Freehling, Eric (July 22, 2020). "'Topside' to launch at Venice". Butler Eagle. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  4. Erbland, Kate (March 24, 2020). "SXSW Winners: Despite Cancellation, Festival Announces Grand Jury Prizes". Indiewire. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
  5. Grobar, Matt (February 9, 2022). "Vertical Entertainment Acquires SXSW & Venice Prize Winner Topside From Directors Celine Held & Logan George". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  6. "Topside". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  7. Kohn, Eric (September 8, 2020). "'Topside' Review: A Child Raised Beneath the NYC Subways Sees the Light in Riveting Debut". IndieWire. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  8. Tallerico, Brian (September 11, 2020). "Venice Film Festival 2020: In Between Dying, The Best is Yet to Come, Topside". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 27, 2021.