5 Films the Academy Ignored: 2014’s Hidden Gems (Part 5)

Finally, saving the best for last, David Mackenzie’s Starred Up. This film introduces us to Eric Love (Jack O’Connell), a feisty, uncontrollable juvenile who is transferred to an adult prison. Eric’s father, Neville (Ben Mendelsohn), is a hardened and fairly respected inmate, introducing Eric to his connections and way of life. But Eric decides to take the Michael “Charles Bronson” Peterson route, and bullies his way toward the top. Starred Up explores the penal system and asks whether prison is solely meant to punish or to rehabilitate. Furthermore, it spends most of its time developing the relationships a convict may have in prison, and how difficult it can be to trust, even when it’s your own family.