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You Were Never Really Here

Play trailer 1:35 Poster for You Were Never Really Here R 2018 1h 30m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 287 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A contract killer uncovers a conspiracy while trying to save a kidnapped teen from a life of prostitution.
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You Were Never Really Here

You Were Never Really Here

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Critics Consensus

Bracingly elevated by a typically committed lead performance from Joaquin Phoenix, You Were Never Really Here confirms writer-director Lynne Ramsay as one of modern cinema's most unique -- and uncompromising -- voices.

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Critics Reviews

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Leslie Felperin The Hollywood Reporter 12/26/2018
[T]his intoxicatingly stylish work is all over the place, a hot mess at times so ravishing it sends shivers down to the toes. Unfortunately, it's also at times just plain crass and silly. Go to Full Review
Chris Nashawaty Entertainment Weekly 12/26/2018
B-
In the end, there's no question that what you're watching is a masterfully-made movie, albeit one that's easier to admire from afar than up close. Go to Full Review
Emily St. James Vox 12/26/2018
4/5
It's the kind of movie I'm glad [Ramsay] made because her interrogation of Joe's masculinity is the sort of thing endemic to the material that many male directors might have missed in an attempt to make the movie more "exciting." Go to Full Review
Dennis Harvey 48 Hills 08/23/2024
A cryptically stunning crime drama casting Joaquin Phoenix as a contract killer whose comingled violence and conscience-stricken pain are complicated by PTSD as a Gulf War veteran... Go to Full Review
JD Duran InSession Film 08/07/2024
There’s something about Phoenix taps into Joe’s ability to both transcend his PTSD (ie. save young women from dangerous situations) and suffer heavily from it. It makes those final moments at the diner so beautiful... Go to Full Review
Erica Richards InSession Film 07/08/2024
B
You Were Never Really Here is not for the faint of heart–it is cold and violent but there are extremely important messages throughout. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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GoodpixelProductions J @JMAUDIO-EDITIONS-NY 6h You Were Never Really Here is one of those rare films that stays with you long after the credits roll. Lynne Ramsay’s direction is bold - story unfolds in fragments: flashes of memory, blurred violence. Rather than spoon-feed the audience, the film trusts you to piece things together making it more powerful and hits hard on being disturbing. Jonny Greenwood’s score is another standout the music doesn’t just support the film—it becomes part of its emotional language. What really makes You Were Never Really Here special is its restraint. It could have been a typical "vigilante thriller,"- its fresh take and It treats its subject matter with seriousness and empathy, never turning suffering into spectacle. This is not an easy or comforting movie,- It rewards patience, attention, and emotional openness. If you appreciate thoughtful, artful cinema that takes risks and respects its audience, You Were Never Really Here is unforgettable. See more Ricky C @Rick.C Jan 12 Did not expect that, one of the better movies ive seen in a while. See more Pete S @Dopple Jan 4 This falls under one of the worst movies I have ever watched. If you want to watch a movie that skips over all the parts that you want to see, and spends too much time on the parts you don't care about, this is the movie for you. There are scenes that don't make any sense at all. It's as though someone wrote down the ramblings of a mentally challenged teenager in crayon and made a movie about it. See more Patrick S @PatrickStruik Dec 13 A knock-out masterpiece. See more Gol D. F @GolD.Fish Dec 6 Maganda to gusto ko Yung kwento. I like the story of this movie it's really good. The performance is amazing. See more Jeff P. @jeffperu Nov 20 You Were Never Really Here follows Joe, a man deeply scarred by his past who now works to rescue victims of exploitation. When he takes on a dangerous job involving a missing girl named Nina, he becomes entangled in a world of corruption that threatens to break what little stability he has left. The film uses Joe’s mission as a window into the trauma he carries and the lengths he will go to protect someone who cannot protect herself. Joaquin Phoenix delivers a remarkable performance. He conveys so much emotion through silence and subtle expression that you feel every ounce of Joe’s internal struggle. His presence controls the screen from beginning to end. The movie uses sound design and suggestion to emphasize violence rather than show it outright, which makes the experience even more unsettling and impactful. The film’s visual style and direction perfectly match its heavy and disorienting tone. It chooses to drop the viewer straight into Joe’s reality without much setup, which can feel confusing at first. The story leaves several elements open to interpretation and some transitions feel abrupt, but those choices also reflect the fractured state of Joe’s mind and keep you fully immersed in his perspective. It is a dark, intense, and haunting film that sticks with you. Even with its unconventional storytelling, it is absolutely worth watching for the atmosphere, the bold filmmaking, and Joaquin Phoenix at his best. 80/100 See more Read all reviews
You Were Never Really Here

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Movie Info

Synopsis A contract killer uncovers a conspiracy while trying to save a kidnapped teen from a life of prostitution.
Director
Lynne Ramsay
Producer
Rosa Attab, Pascal Caucheteux, James Wilson, Lynne Ramsay
Screenwriter
Lynne Ramsay, Jonathan Ames
Distributor
Amazon Studios
Production Co
JW Films, Sixteen Films, Why Not Productions, Amazon Studios, British Film Institute, Film4
Rating
R (Disturbing and Grisly Images|Brief Nudity|Language|Strong Violence)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 6, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 3, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.5M
Runtime
1h 30m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Digital 2.39:1
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