I watched Starred Up the other night. It came out in limited release on August 26 so is only playing in a few theatres at this point. Interestingly, it was also released on iTunes (and maybe other sites) on the same day.
Other than saying it’s set in a prison, I won’t say anything about the plot. I will say, though, that the movie is a tight-rope for everyone - watching it, you’ll be waiting for things to plummet into tragedy; for the characters whose one false move could trigger catastrophe (and from more than one source); but especially the screenwriters who avoided the risk throughout of falling off and having to use a safety net of hackneyed ‘prison movie’ tropes.
And, the acting! Wow! I did not know the lead before (Jack O’Connell) but he is something else. I love Ben Mendelsohn (for example, he was absolutely amazing, stealing every scene in Killing Them Softly and The Place Beyond the Pines, and for both of which he deserved to have been nominated for best supporting actor) and don’t understand why he isn’t getting starring roles in ‘big’ movies.
As an aside, here is a YouTube link to the terrific track playing while the end credits roll. What a cut!
In any case, it is a fine, fine movie. But, don’t take my word for it. Here is the link to its reviews on Metacritic (which, in my opinion at least, almost always provides a much better set of reviews than those you’ll find Rotten Tomatoes).
I missed the edit window but had meant to add that I doubt I’m alone in saying that I missed about thirty percent of the dialogue - the accents are thick, the conversations often rapid and pressured, and the context not always helping to clarify what was said. Still, it actually adds to the impact of the movie: you feel confused and vulnerable. Like the prisoners.