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Last updated: 21 Jun 2026 at 20:36 UTC

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Review of by Matt M — 07 Dec 2013

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David MacKenzie takes the essence of the domestic drama of a difficult father son relationship and confines it to the tense and claustrophobic setting of a prison. Starred Up is the story of a rebellious teenage inmate whose angry life deteriorates when he is transferred to the same prison as his father.

The father's attempts at helping his son, in fact, seem to do nothing but fuel Eric's rage even more and risk putting him into more trouble with the guards. MacKenzie digs deep within the psychology of the characters and their somewhat distorted and selfish priorities.

In the end, this testosterone filled drama is also a harrowing and hard-hitting intimate portrayal made even deeper and more compelling by the wonderful magnetic performances of Jack O'Connell and Ben Mendelsohn who invest body and soul in their honest and sometimes disturbing interpretations of father and son.

This review of Starred Up (2014) was written by on 07 Dec 2013.

Starred Up has generally received very positive reviews.

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