High-Rise
Magnolia Pictures | Release Date: May 13, 2016
5.2
USER SCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 105 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
35
Mixed:
43
Negative:
27
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6
foxgroveMay 13, 2016
An intriguing and very stylish adaptation of J G Ballard’s book which unfortunately goes off the rails in the chaotic and confused second half. Not having read the novel I have zero idea of how well the film serves it. Nevertheless, despiteAn intriguing and very stylish adaptation of J G Ballard’s book which unfortunately goes off the rails in the chaotic and confused second half. Not having read the novel I have zero idea of how well the film serves it. Nevertheless, despite much explicit sex and bloody violence the movie doesn’t seem to go far enough in its depiction of class and social breakdown. It stops just short of an audience pleasing retribution for the upper classes who are here generally drawn as the nonchalant villains of the piece. The high rise itself strikes a menacing image externally, but once inside one loses any sense of geography as to the building’s layout. Its use as a metaphor for the woes of the populace at first instance seems a good one, but in actuality is less inclined towards capitalism, the film’s ultimate message, than it is towards communism. Ultimately, despite energetic direction and some inspired editing, the messy second half leaves one feeling let down by the promise initiated in the vibrant first hour.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
virginiaproudAug 17, 2016
A confusing journey into darkness. The protagonist doesn't engage, we don't learn anything about him, and the madness that surrounds him springs up without much provocation. The back half of the film is then dedicated to chaos, the slightlyA confusing journey into darkness. The protagonist doesn't engage, we don't learn anything about him, and the madness that surrounds him springs up without much provocation. The back half of the film is then dedicated to chaos, the slightly surrealist tone and images were reminiscent of Peter Greenaway, with the grubbiness of Mad Max. Unfortunately interesting imagery is not enough, with half an hour to go, I was considering turning it off. I didn't, but it was really just more of the same til the end.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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8
InglouriousAndyMay 17, 2016
Ben Wheatley's "High-Rise" is remarkably Kubrickian and wonderfully chaotic. It has style for days, great performances, and good social commentary. It kind of gets lost in itself, but it's quite beautiful.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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9
TrilobiteGJul 9, 2016
High-Rise is an encapsulation of everything **** insane about human hierarchy nature and is a certainly unique, well-shot and also well paced film with a lot of girth and brutality in it's message. You'll laugh, you'll cringe and you'llHigh-Rise is an encapsulation of everything **** insane about human hierarchy nature and is a certainly unique, well-shot and also well paced film with a lot of girth and brutality in it's message. You'll laugh, you'll cringe and you'll probably also have a lot of fun.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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7
MOVIECRITIC315Jul 12, 2016
High-Rise might be very confuzing for some people. Me my self was also confuzed at the beginning. It started making more sense in the second act in my opinion. I can compare this movie to Snowpeircer. this movie has a great cast with strongHigh-Rise might be very confuzing for some people. Me my self was also confuzed at the beginning. It started making more sense in the second act in my opinion. I can compare this movie to Snowpeircer. this movie has a great cast with strong performance, well paced, beautifully shot, and is quite funny. Overall i enjoyed High-Rise.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
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2
SpangleSep 3, 2016
Why don't they just leave?

High-Rise touches on similar topics to Snowpiercer from 2014, namely in regards to themes of social class, social unrest, and the economy. However, it makes no sense. While this building most certainly is aWhy don't they just leave?

High-Rise touches on similar topics to Snowpiercer from 2014, namely in regards to themes of social class, social unrest, and the economy. However, it makes no sense. While this building most certainly is a living, breathing entity, these people are workers who just stop going to work when things start happening in their building. When the violence, civil war, and orgies start happening, I just could not comprehend why everyone did not just walk out and move to a new building? While the acting across the board is solid, the thematic elements certainly needed a lot of work as director Ben Wheatley seemed to just toss the kitchen sink at the screen and thought it would all make sense. I get what he was attempting to accomplish with this film and what statements he was trying to make. However, the method in which he used to attack the problems were scattershot at best and ill-thought out. That said, the shots in the elevator are really, really cool and incredibly shot and designed. Honestly, those will be some of my favorite shots of 2016 without a doubt. That said, High-Rise is a pretty disaster with good acting, but obvious thematic dealings and a truly odd, reckless plot undermines the entire proceeding.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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0
SilvercriticMay 21, 2016
This movie was garbage. it had an interesting premise, but it was poorly executed. The plot was poorly developed. I am sorry I wasted time and money to see it.
0 of 2 users found this helpful02
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7
DirigiblePulpFeb 24, 2017
This movie is nuts and I didn't buy everything that happened. Not all of its points are driven home like it intends them to be and it rambles unconvincingly for a while after the half (no idea what the end meant other than representing theThis movie is nuts and I didn't buy everything that happened. Not all of its points are driven home like it intends them to be and it rambles unconvincingly for a while after the half (no idea what the end meant other than representing the sick masculine dream of what constitutes "winning").

However, taken as a hyperbolic nightmare allegory it has its moments and an energy all its own.… Expand
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6
LeZeeSep 29, 2016
A dystopian-thriller-drama in a retro effect.

A new British dystopian-drama sets in a single 40 storey building revolving around the people who resides there. It was based on the novel of the same name which has a great cast and a decentlyA dystopian-thriller-drama in a retro effect.

A new British dystopian-drama sets in a single 40 storey building revolving around the people who resides there. It was based on the novel of the same name which has a great cast and a decently made film. But it is kind of a 50-50 to me, mostly I enjoyed with a little disappointment in some parts. First of all I did not know anything about the film, so surprised with its development, especially when it reached its midway I realised the theme. The setting was great, and well performed by all, particularly the Tom Hiddleton which is very rare to see him in a lead role.

It was the story of a doctor who moved to his new residency in a high-rise tower and tries to blend in with the others. But as the world is falling apart by the collapse of the society and civilisation, his tower block as well affected very seriously of all kinds of supplies where he confronts various threats from its people. The remaining story concentrates where it is going to end and how with some high and low moments.

Occasionally, the narration takes us outside the building, but it does not stay there long enough. At present there are many dystopian films are made, especially for teens, so this is really good and gives the 70s and 80s kind of effect, despite technologically it resembles the current world. Not many people who watched it liked it, so did I. It was not that bad, but the story was not appealing to the 2016 audience, where so many hi-tech films hitting the screen in dystopian theme. From that perspective, it is good we have here a different kind, but not enough. It would have become one of the classic cult if it was made in the 80s or should have been updated thoroughly for making it today.

6/10… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
oDjentoMay 13, 2016
This first section shall be spoiler free.
High-rise is an unremittingly complex film that whilst being captured beautifully on camera with gorgeous cinematography, fails to hold your attention. There’s a difference to a film holding yourThis first section shall be spoiler free.
High-rise is an unremittingly complex film that whilst being captured beautifully on camera with gorgeous cinematography, fails to hold your attention. There’s a difference to a film holding your hand and a film just letting you fall to your death. The film was allegorical and almost everything was a metaphor but with hardly any guidance it was hard to enjoy it other done visually.
The best analogy I could use for this film is this: if you see a piece in the newspaper where someone has used incredibly confusing and big words like “didactic polemic, a connubially vexed allegory” you may think ‘wow, I can’t understand this but the writer must be good and this must be a good newspaper piece because I can’t understand it’. NO, that is not the job of the writer. The writer must make it at least capable to follow so you can understand what is happening; they can make some stuff cryptic but overall the consumer must be able to have a vague idea of the outline and trajectory of the piece. This film becomes so confusing that you may think it is an amazing film because it is so confusing but it is really just pretentious in the fact that it believes it can be smart without even attempting an explanation at times.
The films editing doesn’t help either as it cuts so rapidly and quickly it’s hard to keep up without feeling like you’re in an autism simulator.
Overall, the film is delicious to look at due to its beautiful cinematography but falls short on the writing side of it.
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
What I got from the film after a while trying to think about it is that the film is a study on society and a kind of chaos effect of developed countries for when our insecurities finally take control and we lose our stability. One woman says “we’re all in debt, just the rich ones deal with it better”, and this is why eventually not only the lower class floors end up in anarchy and power failure but the whole building does, as the building represents a society and shows how it has fallen.
The architect (Jeremy Irons) also says that the High-rise is like a finger, and each finger is linked to the palm. I believe each different High-rise around them is a different finger housing a different society, and once one society falls it gets chopped off from the rest of the finger, therefore becoming independently content but anarchic. The rest of the hand then still functions but finds it more difficult to do certain tasks.
The film then closes with Hiddleston’s character stating “it’s only time until the next High-Rise falls” and this would be that like a knock on effect, since the first and most useless High-Rise falls first – as theirs is described as the pinkie – the others will slowly get chopped off too until the hand can barely function. This is why the High-Rise ends up in its animalistic nature; without and stability from the hand it changes itself into almost unconditioned primal instincts with people murder, debauchery and survival.
There is obviously more going on with each scene and each bit of dialogue along with each character representing something (I’m guessing a different aspect of society) but the film moves too quickly with its rapid editing and vagueness that it’s too frustratingly annoying to watch. If the film at least attempted to explain a bit more I probably would’ve given it a higher score.
5.8/10… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
SaikronDec 27, 2016
This was a juvenile critique of classism, social climbing and consumerism. It had all the plot of a music video spread over 2 hours. I would hope that the book is much better.

It was at least pretty and humorous in a Fear and Loathing in LasThis was a juvenile critique of classism, social climbing and consumerism. It had all the plot of a music video spread over 2 hours. I would hope that the book is much better.

It was at least pretty and humorous in a Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas sort of way.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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4
RalfbergsAug 17, 2016
At first this movie seemed quite interesting, unpredictable and you really wanted to know what will happen, but eventually it became quite chaotic, a bit hard to understand (had to check wikipedia page for it to understand what the plotAt first this movie seemed quite interesting, unpredictable and you really wanted to know what will happen, but eventually it became quite chaotic, a bit hard to understand (had to check wikipedia page for it to understand what the plot meant) and I think the ending, even though I felt it will be a bit weird kind of twist like in mindf**k movies, here it felt a bit forced and didn't fit in well in the movie. Of course you can guess that movie is about the class hierarchy and how wrong it is in real life and tries to depict it, but for me it needed to be more understandable, ok maybe if I would have read the book or something which it is based on, but without it, the average joe can't follow it that well. And maybe some people who are into these artsy movies will really enjoy it, but as for me, when I want something relaxing, entertaining which I can enjoy without feeling confused all the time, I prefer something else then.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
badgerryan19May 19, 2017
Good movie. Very odd film. Tom Hiddleston great as usual and Luke Evans and Jeremy Irons give strong performances. Best way to describe this movie is "Snowpiercer" on a skyscraper
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3
tethysdustDec 20, 2016
In our modern world--where many people live in high-rise apartments without resorting to barbarism--this story doesn't really make any sense. It was the most poorly designed and managed building I've ever seen, and none of the charactersIn our modern world--where many people live in high-rise apartments without resorting to barbarism--this story doesn't really make any sense. It was the most poorly designed and managed building I've ever seen, and none of the characters behave like human beings.… Expand
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4
mixed-upMindJun 23, 2020
Oh boy. This movie took a fast dive into anarchy without much of a shove or even a apocalyptic banana to slip from. Story wass all primed for drama and meaning while the film got me instantly curious then the director farted all over eachOh boy. This movie took a fast dive into anarchy without much of a shove or even a apocalyptic banana to slip from. Story wass all primed for drama and meaning while the film got me instantly curious then the director farted all over each scene. No actor should be put through what Tom Hiddleston (A great actor like Irons) should have put up with. it's a 4 star out of 10...… Expand
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5
miccaelJun 27, 2019
Very weird movie. And very British, too. Too long, feels like, unnecessarily too many characters with almost no development. Easy to forget who is who apart from 2-3 characters. It was weird experience that kinda ended nowhere. Good acting though.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
JyroJyroAug 9, 2017
High-Rise is an insane movie, but it manages to present J. G. Ballard's metaphor of society's obsession with hierarchy and capitalist voraciousness in a slick package, featuring a very slick performance from Tom Hiddleston. Sadly, I think theHigh-Rise is an insane movie, but it manages to present J. G. Ballard's metaphor of society's obsession with hierarchy and capitalist voraciousness in a slick package, featuring a very slick performance from Tom Hiddleston. Sadly, I think the plot was partially obscured by the sheer madness that ensued onscreen...… Expand
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1
LiamHonestNov 1, 2016
Another "What did I just watch ?" movie.
A wannabe Stanley Kubrick rip off about society living in a building, and a middle class man who has to find out where he belongs.
This movie is a pure torture. You are waiting for somethingAnother "What did I just watch ?" movie.
A wannabe Stanley Kubrick rip off about society living in a building, and a middle class man who has to find out where he belongs.
This movie is a pure torture. You are waiting for something meaningful to happen, but it just won't.
The director just tries to smear the viewer the problems of our society in the face. Ok we got it already after 10 minutes what's going on, why do you have to repeat the plot multiple times and make this whole movie a violent, disgraceful nude movie with absolutely no point ?
Sorry - this movie made absolutely no sense at all. The message it wants to deliver gets killed by an absolute unnecessary story line.… Expand
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1
arrivistMay 13, 2017
Forced to sit through dreadful waste of time. Ben Wheatley seems to be under the impression he's the next Kubrick, like when your friends blow smoke up your ass at a party because you have all the coke and you actually believe it. This is anForced to sit through dreadful waste of time. Ben Wheatley seems to be under the impression he's the next Kubrick, like when your friends blow smoke up your ass at a party because you have all the coke and you actually believe it. This is an exhibition from a filmmaker who clearly cannot grasp basic cinematic grammar. I would rather be violated with a glass mitten than watch this again. The only way a filmmaker could be more self-indulgent would be if he had two cocks and masturbated with both his hands at the same time. The first 20-minutes of High-Rise is vaguely entertaining, with the remainder being just painful. I usually champion British cinema and would love to excuse this recent addition; but I'm afraid its simply a badly edited, poorly adapted, incoherent mess. Read the book if you must, but save yourself a headache and skip this one.… Expand
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5
JLuis_001Feb 6, 2018
High-Rise is an adaptation of the novel by J.G. Ballard of the same name released in 1975. The novel was a social critic of the times, but it certainly applies in any situation today.

The problem with the film is that it starts well andHigh-Rise is an adaptation of the novel by J.G. Ballard of the same name released in 1975. The novel was a social critic of the times, but it certainly applies in any situation today.

The problem with the film is that it starts well and settled its foundations in a good way however it does not take long for the incoherence to enter the narrative and everything becomes a showcase of violence and anarchy destroying in the last 40 minutes any type of sequence narrative.

I have no doubt that it could be said that the film will be for experimental tastes or those with interests for such chaotic creative visions, but personally High-Res is too disconnected and I do not like it at all.

Applause for the production designer who conceived an interesting world in small spaces of the building to recreate the necessary, I would not say that it's a minimalist style but aesthetics comes close to it.
The costume design also pleased me by giving an interesting seventies vibe to the actors, while Clint Mansell's score is not that spectacular but he always adds that extra to the scenes.… Expand
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5
CoreGamer1408Sep 8, 2023
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A movie going know where doing nothing new. Take away peoples basic comforts and it all goes to crap type of deal. Not even good to reasonable actors can save this middling film.… Expand
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1
KRC161412_1Aug 20, 2018
What the hell is going on in this movie... boring, boring, boring, I want my 2 hours back
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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6
DawdlingPoetNov 27, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This film contains elements of drama, thriller and horror and it features black comedy, so its hard to pin it down to one or two specific genres as such. Thematically speaking, it covers community, anonymity, power, greed and childhood innocence.

I felt this film did well in portraying a rather spooky and unsettling sense from relatively early on, thats in relation to said high rise tower blocks inhabitants and also in relation to the main character, who we seem to be only given a brief insight in to. I felt that viewers were left in the metaphorical dark as to what may be behind things, although its true to say that the film starts at the end, narratively speaking, with the doctor shown in a certain situation, after some events have clearly taken place. In that sense I suppose we do know what happens but I still felt very much like I was trying to figure out what may have been a, or the, catalyst, so it has a slight mysterious sense to it.

Its got quite a strong arthouse or independent type of 'feel' to it and it did feel to me as if it was perhaps trying a bit too hard to be clever and witty, while including as much potentially unsettling, in terms of violent and sex-related content, which seemed a bit of a cliche. I thought it had a slight tinge of artifical feel to it, which may or may not appeal to you. It reminded me, visually, from what I can remember of a rather violent and unsettling Channel 4 drama series called Utopia, although that was more science fiction based. Perhaps another somewhat similar show that thematically and genre wise it is a little like is Charlie Brookers Black Mirror, if that helps give you an idea? the director is Ben Wheatley, who is well known for his dark films, most of which are black comedies.

I felt the plot pace was a bit annoyingly slow and I found myself wishing that things would come to a head a bit quicker, given that we have an insight from the start as to what may ultimately happen, watching the various inhabitants go about their business gets a bit dull after a while. It is mysterious but I suppose im a slightly impatient person and I felt frustrated wanting to see where the plot was going. The concept was interesting but I feel like it could have been a bit slicker somehow. Still, it is somewhat atmospheric and mysterious, in some scenes more than others and I imagine some people will quite enjoy it - its perhaps another of the 'love it or hate it' type of films, as I believe its received a mixed reaction from both critics and general reviewers online via IMDB and the likes. If I had the option, I'd probably opt for a 3.5 star rating, as overall I thought it was somewhere between satisfactory to good, which is obviously neither love it or hate it but there you go! I'm a bit indecisive sometimes. Parts, or aspects of it, were quite good but I wasn't so keen on others. It would feel, to me, somewhat unfair to rate it as poor, or good, as its bits of both somehow - make of that what you will.

Cast wise, the main character, Dr. Laing, is played by Tom Hiddleston. He seems relatively cool and collected, somewhat neutral you could say, for the majority of the film. He was a good actor to play this role, I feel, being the average English middle to upper class type I think. Sienna Miller plays Charlotte, one of the other inhabitants and she also does well in her role, seeming to play the vulnerable wife role. Meanwhile, Jeremy Irons plays Royal, a somewhat cold and calculating figure, Elisabeth Moss plays Helen, Keeley Hawes plays Ann and Reece Shearsmith plays Steele.

As the plot pace increased, I felt it became more frantic - while we saw things, I still felt confused about precisely what was going on, which was primarily unsettling and also irritating. I don't feel it would be right to say it was a bad example of a cliched indie art style film, as I did feel it was ok in some regards but it certainly didn't rate much higher than an average, or satisfactory, film of its type overall. It had too many what I regard as unanswered questions.

I'm not sure - I suppose it depends on what your looking for and if your especially keen on the cast or not. I felt Hiddleston gave a decent performance and it is certainly fairly atmospheric but it is also irritatingly slow regarding the plot development and it did seem a little cliched, so its not one I would especially rush to recommend as such, yet its not the worst ever film of its type. Its a bit awkward as I feel it is generally a love it or hate it type of a film but I am, as you may have guessed, fairly indifferent to it. I suppose I think its more good than it is really bad as such but if your hoping for a more run of the mill drama type film, then you may find this to be a little pretentious and wouldn't overly enjoy it, although I think its ok.… Expand
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