The three protagonists of this movie are some of the best actors in film today. Ben Mendelsohn (Animal Kingdom, The Place Beyond the Pines), Rupert Friend (Showtime’s Homeland), and the young Jack O’Connell (Skins, 300: Rise of an Empire).
O’Connell plays a messed up 19-year old who is adjusting to adult prison life after juvenile detention. He is in the same prison as his father, played by Mendelsohn, who tries to guide him through the violence and anger of his incarceration. Rupert Friend plays an unconvential therapist who wants to save him.
Mendelsohn and Friend continue to surprise with their power and range. O’Connell is not the usual teen idol pretty boy either, and this kid deserves a bigger role because he has raw magnetism. He reminds you of a young Christian Bale in intensity and charisma.
Check out the Starred Up trailer below. It is pretty cool. The film hits UK cinemas on March 21. It’s unlikely to find major distribution in the US, but I can’t wait for it to come out on video or streaming media.
