We’ve got a cool red-band clip to share with you from the prison drama STARRED UP, starring Jack O’Connell, Ben Mendelsohn, and Rupert Friend, which brings to light the harsh and brutal conditions of being in prison. Not that you need reminding, of course, but STARRED UP has garnered some great critical acclaim for its portrayal of a young, violent inmate (O’Connell) who fights for survival behind bars where he also encounters his imprisoned father (Mendelsohn). The red-band clip showcases O’Connell preparing for an encounter with the guards, which ends up going bad real quick.
“Weapons down, stand against the back wall”
Here’s the synopsis:
19-year-old Eric (Jack O’Connell, star of the upcoming UNBROKEN), arrogant and ultra-violent, is prematurely transferred to the same adult prison facility as his estranged father (Ben Mendelsohn, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES). As his explosive temper quickly finds him enemies in both prison authorities and fellow inmates — and his already volatile relationship with his father is pushed past breaking point — Eric is approached by a volunteer psychotherapist (Rupert Friend, “Homeland”), who runs an anger management group for prisoners. Torn between gang politics, prison corruption, and a glimmer of something better, Eric finds himself in a fight for his own life, unsure if his own father is there to protect him or join in punishing him.
STARRED UP looks like a pretty solid prison flick and our own Chris Bumbray felt highly of it when he saw it at TIFF last year (his review here). O’Connell is primed to make a name for himself with Angelina Jolie‘s WWII drama UNBROKEN later this year and Ben Mendelsohn (THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES) is always a cool cat, no matter what he’s in, so I’m game.
STARRED UP hits VOD on August 26, 2014 and limited theaters on August 27, 2014.
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