Just when you think you’ve seen all there is to offer from the well-worn prison genre, along comes this exhilarating and intelligent low-budget gem.
Starred Up is as smart and uncompromising as it is ferocious. There’s a new daddy in town and this is it
From Cool Hand Luke (1967), to Midnight Express (1978), The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and about a million others, the prison movie lends itself to numerous different interpretations.
The most forgettable tend to be none-too-weighty action flicks that provide steady work for former wrestlers or MMA fighters, while the ones that stick in the memory are either allegorical (Cool Hand Luke‘s religious symbolism, for example) or have something to say about the world we live in.
Eric Love (Jack O’Connell) is Starred Up
One of the best prison movies in recent years was Jacques Audiard’s A Prophet (2009) which, apart from being genuinely nail-biting, was also overt in its politics. There are hints of A Prophet in David Mackenzie’s brutal and electrifying Starred Up as it closely follows the travails of Eric Love (Jack O’Connell), a young inmate prematurely incarcerated into an adult prison.
The film’s methodical opening reel is similar to Audiard’s masterpiece as it fixes its gaze on Eric as he is transported to jail and is processed by the guards in a deliberately intimidating fashion designed to reinforce the power structure. Unlike Tahir Rahim’s Malick from A Prophet, however, Eric is already a veteran of the penal system, having been ‘starred up’ (transferred early) from a Young Offender Institution and makes it is first act to fashion a weapon for himself.
Like father, like son… Neville (Ben Mendelsohn) discovers son Eric (Jack O’Connell) is inside in Starred Up
Although clearly intelligent, Eric is also a caged animal and acts impulsively, more often than not out of a sense of fear. He must also deal with the discovery that he’s locked up alongside his father Neville (Ben Mendelsohn), a respected long-term convict, and forms a loose connection with the well-meaning Oliver (Rupert Friend), a therapist who wants a chance to help him.
Eric stands at a crossroads within the prison. His father represents a broken past that has led him to this place; the system, led by Sam Spruell’s loathsome Deputy Governor Hayes represents the walls that surround him in the present; while a possible future is represented by Oliver, who wants to help break the cycle of violence and self-destruction in the lives of Eric and other inmates.
Therapist Oliver Baumer (Rupert Friend) tries to help inmate Eric (Jack O’Connell) in Starred Up
The brutality of the prisoners is reflected by the guards and the authority that runs the facility. Jonathan Asser’s script (based on the writer’s own experience of having worked as a therapist in a prison) deftly lays bare the hypocrisy of a prison system that purports to want to rehabilitate its inmates, but in actuality sees the likes of Eric as nothing more than worthless scum not worth bothering with. Violence begets violence, from the bottom to the very top.
O’Connell gives a fearless performance as Eric. On his own in his cell, he betrays a pent-up look of fear that reminds us just how young he is, but around others adopts a puffed up arrogance that spills over into uncontrollable fury.
Convict Eric Love (Jack O’Connell) won’t take things lying down in Starred Up
Eric’s complicated relationship with his father is the heart of the film and both actors give it everything they’ve got. Eric initially cannot look Neville in the eye when they first encounter each other in the prison yard and the anger and disappointment felt by his father is palpable. Neville, whose impulse towards savagery is shared by Eric, is torn between looking out for his son and wanting to knock seven bells out of him, and it’s absorbing watching how one side slowly wins out over the other.
Needless to say the violence is shocking and visceral, but then it has to be when you consider the environment these people exist in.
Starred Up is as smart and uncompromising as it is ferocious. There’s a new daddy in town and this is it.
three rows back 
Easily one of the best 2014 is offering thus far, excellent review, my friend :). O’Connell and Mendelsohn are unstoppable!
Sorry Joseph, the comment I thought I’d posted hasn’t shown up on here for some reason. I’ve been on a very pleasant run of late – and all British films to boot! Fantastic!
Nice write up buddy. I enjoyed this, main 3 were excellent in their roles. Still not a patch on A Prophet for me this one, but a solid prison film.
Cheers Tyson. You’re right, A Prophet is the more rounded film, but this still packs a mighty punch.
Great review. I’ve been hearing great things about this one so far!
Check it out mate; well worth it.
Gosh I can’t wait to see this thing, what a fascinating relationship dynamic!! And I am really digging Mendelsohn right now, he’s great. Thanks to your solid work I am prepared for a pretty brutal ride but one that should be worth the flinches. 😉
Mate, I think you’ll really love it. Mendelsohn’s effortless here and can’t seem to put a foot wrong. The scenes he shares with O’Connell are electrifying.
I loved Starred Up. I reviewed it on my site, too. I agree with you. It’s the best prison film I’ve seen in a long time. The actors were spring loaded and despite my lack of prison experience, it seemed dead on. Great review!
Ah, thanks! Will take a look at your review; always great to read other opinions.
Great review. You liked this more than me but I can’t deny the strong performances in this one.
They’re what makes it for. Weaker performances would have made this an also-ran. Appreciate the feedback as always 🙂
Great review, I thought it was a very intense movie thanks to some amazing performances.
Appreciate that my friend. Thee performances are what lifts this above so many other prison movies.
Great review, I loved this film: I virtually stumbled out of the cinema in a daze after it finished. Simply stunning.
Thanks! It’s one of the more hardcore movies you’ll see this year isn’t it?
You hit the nail on the head when you said ‘uncompromising’. I liked it too and it was refreshing how there was no happy ending in sight so it seemed more real
Cheers man. Couldn’t think of a better word. Glad you got a kick out of it too.
I need to see something w/ Jack O’Connell, he seems to be one of the most talented young talents working today. Especially curious how he’d tackle the Zamperini biopic Unbroken this Christmas.
He’s been getting a lot of buzz over here since he was in the TV show Skins. Very promising young actor.
Those captions are…… FUCKING BOSS!
#LikeABoss
😀 WHO’S THE DADDYYYYYY!!!!!
#DNATest
Damn! This is getting such positive reviews on WordPress now. Almost sorry I skipped it! Nice review. 🙂
Check. It. Out!!
Spot on review mate, I thought this was fantastic. Definitely one of the more underrated films of the year so far.
Thanks as always Chris. Another great 2014 British film; it’s been a really solid year for UK cinema.
Excellent review. Starred Up is one of the biggest surprises for me so far this year. O’Connell is terrific and I’m eager to see what he does next in ’71.
Yeah, ’71 looks really good doesn’t it? Thanks!