Topside (2020) User Reviews

Very hard movie to watch

[debbysea · 7/10 · 25 October 2023]

This movie was very difficult to watch for a number of reasons, Aside from the storyline, the camera was all over the place. It made me nauseous watching it. Switching gears, the fact that it was about a child, her drug addict mother and the homeless population made it quite painful to watch. The acting was spot on and the storyline was as real as it gets. I had to keep reminding myself it was just a movie . Prepare your heart before you watch this. The sadness I feel right now is overwhelming. This movie is not for everyone but honestly, I would have given it more stars if it hadn't been for the shaky cameras.

What???

[stacylouwho · 5/10 · 25 July 2022]

I thought this was going to be decent but I lost interest after 10 minutes. I watched the whole thing bc the remote was out of reach and I didn't want to wake the baby!!

I gave it a 5 bc it's not the child's fault for being in this movie!!

Horrible

[tux-12 · 2/10 · 25 March 2022]

All other reviews must come from members of the film crew. If the permanent shaky camera does not make you sick, I challenge you to watch this film more than 10 minutes. One of the worst of the year. I have not given that mark for some time, but I think it is well deserved.

An unrealistic portrayal of homelessness and addiction

[steveniemi-89906 · 3/10 · 1 September 2022]

To offset all of the fake 10/10 reviews, I offer an honest review, without any spoilers.

The portrayal of addiction throughout the movie is neither accurate nor complete. It falls quite short in an attempt to make the mother care more for her child than her addiction. The portrayal of the homelessness crisis also falls short, not offering a complete look.

Had the story and characters been better developed and fleshed out, the movie might have been compelling.

The frantic camera action, jerking and bobbing, while meant to reflect the characters angst, is just annoying.

Kudos to the lighting direction. Too many movies are shot in the dark (aka the entire last season of GOT). While this had many dark scenes underground, the lighting was done quite strategically, offering enough contrast to follow the scene.

Wow

[Nevergivea10 · 9/10 · 25 July 2022]

I was not expecting such a realistic movie about a homeless drug addict with a Child. Having worked in that environment I can tell you this is as real as it gets.

Wow!

[Marynewcomb2013 · 1/10 · 26 July 2022]

A film making a drug addict out to be something they aren't!! First off, doing drugs is a choice! Secondly, when you do drugs & you have a child, you are showing how truly little you care for said child!! Thirdly, you are homeless living underground with a child & doing drugs is the worst of the worst!! There is nothing about this film that's good!!

They could have made it to where the mother cared enough for the child to turn her over to a policeman, child advocate agent or even a hospital! Then the story could have been really about the child & growing up!!

Must Watch

[davidstatt · 10/10 · 27 July 2022]

Are you uncomfortable? Good, you should be. Put your judgement aside. Walk in someone else's shoes. I don't want to hear, "you shouldn't do drugs if you have a child" or "she's a horrible mother." This is about real life and real situations.

Life is all about experiences and perspectives. If you don't have certain experiences you can gain knowledge and perspective through someone else's struggle and story.

Raw look at poverty and homelessness. This is how hundreds of thousands of people have to live due to dependency, mental illness, etc.

In my mind love did prevail not apathy....

A thought-provoking film about poverty and homelessness

[balthesaur · 9/10 · 4 June 2022]

'Topside' features Nikki (Celine Held), a drug addled mother of a 5-year0old girl, Little (Zhaila Farmer), and how they survive underground in an abandoned New York subway tunnel. Together, a small community of homeless denizens watch over each other and help protect Little, until one day, when the city clears out the encampment for remodeling and everyone scatters. It then falls to Nikki and Little to find a way to survive topside.

This film shows how homeless people can be displaced, taken advantage of, and how everyone around them tries to 'help' by way of calling social services. Nikki's main concern throughout the movie is not being seperated from Little, and at no point do any of the various do-gooders offer that. The passion from Celine Held for her incredibly talented co-star, Zhalia Farmer, is very realistic and captivating. Truly a gritty tale with heart

Worth a watch!

Emotionally Charged

[jennyjwoodward-89779 · 8/10 · 3 April 2022]

This is the most tense drama I've ever seen... literally tensing up. I was hesitant to watch as I thought it might be too slow, even for me. But I was drawn in pretty quickly! Very well thought out film, one I won't forget.

Intense

[grannywolf25 · 10/10 · 26 July 2022]

It started out a little slow but the emotion in this movie is very realistic! The actress that play Nikki (Celine Held) was amazing! The terror and fear she projected was so real! This movie kept me on the edge of my chair!

First film I wanted to leave a review for

[zsfbcvff · 10/10 · 3 April 2022]

I watch ALOT of movies. This is the first time I've left a review on here. We'll done everything. Celine, acting was so visceral! Great job!! Very gritty! I felt that they got there intentions across the screen from concept to finished product.

As real as it gets....

[silvasiembra · 10/10 · 13 August 2022]

This award winning film merits watching by those who cast a judgmental eye at the homeless population. Celine Held and Logan George shared a horrible thing happening in society today while at the same time, educating us that sacrificial love is possible in all of us.

Startling

[MargieKnowsBest · 10/10 · 27 March 2022]

This polarizing movie is not for the faint of heart. It is unnerving and disturbing and subsequently stays with you for a long time. It has won awards and amazing reviews from many critics- you cannot argue with that.... I cried - I cried a river of tears for Nikki and LIttle. When your emotions are touched so deeply by a movie - it has driven its message home. After digging a little- you find out the truth about the movie- Little was indeed homeless...her family walked into the casting call for Topside thinking it was a soup kitchen. It doesn't get more real that that. Obviously it is not for everyone- it is intelligent and affecting....shows NYC in a light we are not used to seeing it- a glaring SPOTLIGHT. The end breaks your heart completely in two. Well done to the film makers- looking forward to your next release.

A big 10 out of 10 Fantastic performances

[Trooper1995 · 10/10 · 17 October 2020]

Breathtaking- TOPSIDE is a superb accomplishment. It is an emotional journey that commences in the darkest, deepest underground tunnels of NYC then accosts us with the blinding lights of our city streets. Our privileged society often looks the other way - preferring not to see abject poverty - because it makes us uncomfortable. TOPSIDE is an uncomfortable and necessary movie. Thank you for making it. It was a perfect movie with a perfect ending. The message to me was...take off your rose colored glasses - there are many people living like this in every city in wealthy America. TOPSIDE makes it up close and personal and uncomfortable. Watch it and be forever changed. Well done!!!

the sad thing is that tens of millions of people worldwide live like this

[lee_eisenberg · 8/10 · 9 August 2022]

Celine Held's "Topside" is a grim portrait of people on society's margins, and what they have to do to survive. You can bet money that tens of millions of people worldwide live like this. The fact remains that if you're reading this review, you're among the privileged members of society.

Outstanding first film by a pair of amazing filmmakers

[nick94965 · 10/10 · 20 January 2021]

Wow-- this is one earth shattering film. The basic story does not seem to do justice to the execution, which is amazing -- it is clear that the filmmakers are extraordinarily talented, and the acting is superb. Every scene is absolutely realistic, almost documentary, and the settings are gritty, grimy, as the main character, Little, a tiny girl and her mother, Nikki, are two of the tunnel dwellers are forced out of their underground which is condemned. The two have a special bond because the girl has never been Topside, and when they enter the world above, the blinding lights and overwhelming noise of the city almost causes the girl a serious breakdown. When the filmmakers show the point of view of the girl, the lights and sound are overmodulated to give the viewer the same feeling of chaos as the child, above ground probably for the first time, would experience. The story gets harsh as they desperately search for some kind of shelter in the city and the finale is beyond heartbreaking. This is a difficult film to sit through, but the experience is worthwhile and very highly recommended.

Fan-blinking-tastic!

[Bleakhouse11 · 10/10 · 30 October 2021]

Edge of your seat climatic! Run don't walk to see this movie when the opportunity presents itself! I was blown away by the actors- the second half is almost unbearable in its intensity- but leads to a feeling of deep understanding when it is all over..........