Starred Up (2013)

80) Starred Up (2013)

A troubled and explosively violent teenager is transferred to adult prison where he finally meets his match – a man who also happens to be his father.

9/10 – A near flawless prison drama with an outstanding lead performance by Jack O’Connell. Violent, graphic, brutally honest and unnervingly funny at times, it grabs you by the scruff of the neck, drags you into the showers and beats you to a pulp until the film is over. Sure, it is full of clichés, but it doesn’t matter when they are played out this well. Rupert Friend and Ben Mendelsohn surpass expectation too, but it is worth reiterating just how good O’Connell’s utterly convincing performance is.

One of the must-see films of the year so far.