You Were Never Really Here

2018 "Bring the hammer."
6.7| 1h29m| R| en| More Info
Released: 06 April 2018 Released
Producted By: Why Not Productions
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0797CB8H4
Synopsis

A traumatised veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, his nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening.

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juliehoynes The only reason I signed up for IMDb was to warn people what a boring, stupid, pointless movie this is!!! Indy movies are the absolute worst!!!
Jason G. roenick Boring to the 10th degree. Mr. Phoenix needs an intervention. He made this movie when he was 41 yet he looks like a fat grandfather. His non-stop mumbling didn't help either, subtitles should have been used when he talked. A mercenary who uses a hammer? WTF? The Lolita-esqe relationship he had with the girl was quite repulsive as well. This movie was appallingly bad and even with its short running time, it seemed to drone on. This joker is playing the Joker? As Nell Carter once said, "Gimme a break."
Chethan Ahuja Lynne Ramsay has outright spoiled a brilliant novel. The changes are inconsequential. The writing is so ineffective for most parts; the characters that stick-out from the book is just a fade-away here. SKIP IT. A brilliant actor in Joaquin Phoenix is wasted.
TheLittleSongbird 'You Were Never Really Here' compelled me to watch it from the start. The fact that people were describing it as an unconventional thriller interested me, there are not many of those these days (speaking as a fan of thrillers), and then you have an extremely talented actor in Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. The positive word of mouth and cool advertising added further to the promise.Seeing it, 'You Were Never Really Here' came over as very good and very impressive. Can totally understand why it is divisive here and it is not surprising that some were alienated by it and not used to a thriller being done differently. It's hardly the first or only divisive film from 2018 so far, 'A Quiet Place' and 'Hereditary' were very different horrors that were critically acclaimed but polarising with audiences, personally loved both, especially 'A Quiet Place'. For me, that it was unconventional was a large part of why 'You Were Never Really Here' worked as well as it did. It is not quite a masterpiece and it just falls short of being one of my very favourite films of the year (though it is still towards the top).It is not perfect. 'You Were Never Really Here' does have moments where the story could have done with more clarity, the vagueness did cause a little confusion at times. Would have liked much more development to the supporting characters, while the protagonist is splendidly drawn the rest are sketchy.However, there is so much to like about 'You Were Never Really Here'. The production values are extremely stylish with some very creative shots and film techniques, the rescue is particularly gritty and purposefully grainy in a security camera way. The minimal dialogue was a good choice, it let the atmosphere fully sear and the uncompromising brutality and unsettlement ensures plenty of deliberately slow-burning tension which helps make the story absorbing.Lynne Ramsay directs cleverly, with a keen eye for visual style, letting the atmosphere speak for itself and never letting the deliberate pacing to become dull or self-indulgent. That's personal opinion, just to make that clear to anybody who will vehemently disagree. 'You Were Never Really Here' is successful in avoiding clichés and having the action scenes brief, not frequent and mostly off-screen provided to be a bold and good move. Joaquin Phoenix is excellent in the lead role, the intensity dripping off him at every turn. The rest of the cast do well but not to the same level of Phoenix, but only because he is something else. Altogether, very good but so many great things. With better fleshed out characters and more clarity in some of the plotting, it would have been even better. 8/10 Bethany Cox