High-Rise (2015)

Life for the residents of a tower block begins to run out of control.

Director:

Ben Wheatley

Writers:

Amy Jump, J.G. Ballard (novel)

Stars:

Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons, Sienna Miller

6 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hiddleston	...	Laing
Jeremy Irons	...	Royal
Sienna Miller	...	Charlotte
Luke Evans	...	Wilder
Elisabeth Moss	...	Helen
James Purefoy	...	Pangbourne
Keeley Hawes	...	Ann
Peter Ferdinando	...	Cosgrove
Sienna Guillory	...	Jane
Reece Shearsmith	...	Steele
Enzo Cilenti	...	Talbot
Augustus Prew	...	Munrow
Dan Renton Skinner	...	Simmons (as Dan Skinner)
Stacy Martin	...	Fay
Tony Way	...	Robert the Caretaker

Storyline

Class struggle becomes all too real as a young doctor moves into a modern apartment block in suburban 1975 London. Drugs, drink & debauchery dissolve into murder, mayhem and misogyny in this pseudo-post-apocalyptic breakdown of societal norms.

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Plot Keywords:

high rise apartment building | tower | sex standing up | class warfare | suicide by jumping | 

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Taglines:

Welcome to the high life...

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, disturbing images, strong sexual content/graphic nudity, language and some drug use

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sienna Guillory and Enzo Cilenti are married in real life.

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Goofs

When Laing first meets Royal, trees from the garden location which should have been digitally removed can be seen behind the wall in one shot. There should only be a sheer drop as it's meant to be a roof garden at the top of a tower block.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Laing: [narrating] For all its inconveniences, Laing was satisfied with life in the high-rise. Now that so many of the residents were out of the way, he felt able to relax. More in charge of himself. Ready to move forward and explore life. How and where, exactly, he had not yet decided.
Nathan Steele: [checking teeth] I see the rot's set in. Do you fancy a drink? Cosgrove is here. All boys together.
[indicates a dead man]
Laing: Sometimes he found it difficult not to believe they were living in a future that had ...

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojoUK: Top 10 Tom Hiddleston Performances (2017)

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Soundtracks

Outside My Door
Written by Holger Czukay, Irmin Schmidt, Jaki Liebezeit, Michael Karoli and Malcolm Mooney
Published by Messer Music Ltd c/o Bucks Music Group Ltd
Performed by Can (as CAN)
Courtesy of Spoon Records

User Reviews

Style, performances, cinematography, and observations.

There is some intense hatred for High-Rise, which I think comes from people expecting something very different to what they found. So I'm going to try and tell you what to expect without any spoilers.

A lot of people will find this movie hard to relate to because it has anti-heroes and is driven by concept rather than character - its pacing is guided more by the ideas it wishes you to consider than the emotions it wants you to experience. Another swathe of viewers will be put off because it offends their politics, and sociology and politics are at the core of this movie. Ballard made some observations about human nature, the which Jump and Wheatley relate to the politics of their own generation. The majority of High-Rise's observations are pessimistic to say the least; those overly sensitive to the observations' bleakness, or who can't relate to their context may not find much here.

But if you can immerse yourself into the film's style, enjoy the outstanding performances and cinematography, and enjoy decrypting J.G.Ballard's metaphors through Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump's lens, there is a lot here for you.

My only gripes are 1) that it didn't show at any cinemas within a reasonable distance from me, and 2) having Abba stuck in my head (although vastly reinvented versions appear in the movie, it is the original song which burrows into my ear like a parasitic worm).

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK Ireland Belgium

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 April 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

High Rise

Filming Locations:

Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$79,887, 15 May 2016

Gross USA:

$346,472

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,289,074

Company Credits

Production Co:

HanWay Films, Film4, British Film Institute (BFI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White (super8 footage)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1