Directed by: David Mackenzie.
Starring: Jack O'Connell, Rupert Friend, Ben Mendelsohn.


Starred up, follows the violent 19 year old through his journey in prison where he faces many adversities and strengths.

I was reluctant to watch this film and I have no idea why, I think I didn't want to taint my view of Cook from Skins but I am glad I finally came round to watching.

After watching this film, I was shocked at the ending. Mainly because there really wasn't one. We just kind of get left open-ended and I was very disappointed by this. The rest of the film however, I thought was great and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.

Jack O'Connell's, performance was as expected, wonderful. He brought his 'bad boy' image and complimented it with his, at times caring personality and humorous self. He was a strong character yet allowed himself to be vulnerable and open up emotionally.
The rest of the characters I felt were all equally as potent. They all added their own unique personality yet they were ultimately all the same. I felt they all gave off a sense of vulnerability also, even when carrying their macho persona.

To me, this seemed like a very Shane Meadows kind of film and that is most certainly a compliment. What really made this film is the story. There were lots of deep seeded things going on, which made you look at more than the main picture. It made you think and made you feel very intuitive. I genuinely liked how all of the paths kind of intertwined and how you saw the plot twists happen.

With scarce locations to create any spectacular images, the cinematography wasn't anything revolutionary. I found that they used colours in a interesting way and the scenes were generally vibrant and bright, which is quite unique to see in a prison film. There were some unique shots here and there but I feel this was more about the story than the image.

Overall, I felt as though was a exceptional film that was slightly let down by it's abrupt ending. If there was more context at the end, it would have helped me remember the film more clearly but as there was not, the film has faded away in my memory. Never the less, it was still worth the watch and I recommend you watch just for O'Connell's performance.