It’s always exciting when you look into the eyes of the character an actor is portraying and it’s immediately clear that you’re about to experience something more than interesting. I first saw Jack O’Connell in the very well edited and scored trailer for this movie, Starred Up  and within seconds I just knew.

Director David Mackenzie’s film also stars a great Australian actor who had me believing he was British thanks to his flawless accent; ladies and gentlemen, Ben Mendelsohn, Starred Up is a brilliantly executed film that follows an explosively violent young man, Eric Love, from the day he’s transferred from a juvenile institution, to the adult prison where his father also happens to reside. Watching the father son relationship really helps answer the most important question for me, and that’s how it is that Eric came to be where he is.

As is often the case in horror movies, because Starred Up is, in a way just that, you’ll find yourself wanting Eric to make it out of jail, in one piece and as soon as possible.

Part of the magic that makes Starred Up so good is the fact that at no point as you watch the film are you actually ever really sure that the young Love will make it. In fact, as time goes on, such a prospect appears more and more unlikely which makes for a very tense, gritty and memorable viewing experience.

If you didn’t already believe that ending up in jail is really best avoided, this movie will convince you, especially if you’re a teenager. Also, as you continue to watch, the idea that your own parents might not be so bad after all may come to mind more than once.

Every single performance in Starred Up is great. What a brilliant choice casting O’Connell proved to be. Watch this movie for the ‘realness’ and O’Connell’s excellence.  What i know for sure is that from this moment on I’m a massive fan.

Happy Film Loving

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