Were you ever in the mood to fight 24/7? Apparently, the main character of 2013’s Starred Up was. In fact, everyone in this British prison drama was. Starred Up was directed by David Mackenzie and written by Jonathan Asser. Jack O’Connell and Ben Mendelsohn play a son and father duo, both locked up with serious anger issues. Right away, O’Connell’s character is ready to fight anyone who even looks at him funny. As soon as you meet Mendelsohn, you can see who he takes after.
Who Wants To Fight?
Starred Up is a gritty and raw examination of a complicated and toxic relationship between a father and son who genuinely do love each other. But, who absolutely should never be around each other. O’Connell plays Eric, who is just transferred into a violent adult prison. Clearly viewed as a problem inmate, both his father Neville (Mendelsohn) and a staff therapist Oliver Baumer (played by Rupert Friend) try to get him to start down a better path. Neville’s a lifer, but his son isn’t. Therefore, he wants to make sure Eric does his time and will be alright for society when he gets out.
The problem is that any time the two see each other, they always end up fighting. I’ve watched a lot of prison films and Starred Up was a really great watch. As far as indie movies go, Starred Up was done well. O’Connell is a powerhouse and Mendelsohn is always great in any role. The two fed off each other well. There were many times where you could feel your heart in your throat because you were on the edge of your seat.
Rating: 4/5
Starred Up is currently on Netflix and definitely worth a watch.
A girl with too many fandoms to count.
