Led by what we called “a stunning, incendiary performance” by Jack O’Connell in a movie that’s “authentic, but capable of lyricism,” you’d be wise to put “Starred Up” on your radar for 2014 (yep, it’s one of the 21 Best Films We’ve Seen already, that are coming this year). But if you need a bit more convincing, this excellent new trailer has dropped for the film which’ll get your pulse racing.
Co-starring Ben Mendelsohn and Rupert Friend, the David Mackenzie (“Young Adam,” “Hallam Foe,” “Perfect Sense“) directed film tells the gritty tale of a violent young offender who winds up in the same prison as his father, a long-term inmate. Sparks fly. And yes, comparisons will be made to “A Prophet,” but this is its own beast, and well worth checking out.
So where does Mackenzie go from here, after his critically acclaimed prison flick? Well, Warner Bros. wants him for “The Mission,” reports Variety. If it’s ringing any faint bells, it’s the project that once had David O. Russell and Brad Pitt as the potential director and star, telling the true story of the six-year operation by American and Colombian covert operatives to free 15 hostages from the Colombian jungle. Sounds pretty thrilling, and it looks lik Mackenzie is making the studio leap with a pretty meaty pic.
Until more is heard on that one, here’s the trailer and poster for “Starred Up.” There’s no date yet from U.S. date yet for this one, but it opens in the U.K. on March 21st.
