Starred Up is an early contender for the best British film of 2014. Whilst it cannot avoid the completely-limited conventions of the prison movie genre for the most part (and thankfully avoids the melodramatics of Scum), this film's USP - the relationship between young Eric (Jack O'Connell) and the older Neville (Ben Mendelsohn) makes the film singularly compelling. Leaving behind his lightweight turn in 300 - Rise Of An Empire, O'Connell gives an absolutely stunning performance, by turn terrifying, hilarious and heartbreaking (often within a single scene) that completely carries the film, but Mendelsohn's extraordinarily layered acting cannot be overlooked. It is unflinchingly sweary, claustrophobic and violent, creating a constantly simmering tension in a brutal system where revenge is swift and tolerance is alien, all brilliantly managed by the director. High-brow critics may play up the unsubtle metaphor of the prison microcosm for society in general, but Starred Up is essentially about a relationship and the human ability to hurt and to heal, making for harrowing, thought-provoking and emotionally-raw viewing..
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