Upstream Color (2013)

A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.

Director:

Shane Carruth

Writer:

Shane Carruth

Stars:

Amy Seimetz, Frank Mosley, Shane Carruth

5 wins & 35 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Amy Seimetz	...	Kris
Shane Carruth	...	Jeff
Andrew Sensenig	...	The Sampler
Thiago Martins	...	Thief
Kathy Carruth	...	Orchid Mother
Meredith Burke	...	Orchid Daughter
Andreon Watson	...	Peter
Ashton Miramontes	...	Lucas
Myles McGee	...	Monty
Frank Mosley	...	Husband
Carolyn King	...	Wife
Kerry McCormick	...	OBGYN
Marco Antonio Rodriguez	...	MRI Tech
Brina Palencia	...	Woman in Club
Lynn Blackburn	...	HR Manager

Storyline

Kris is attacked one night, and hypnotized, using a grub with hypnotic properties, administered by a thief. She follows the thief's instructions to give him everything, even taking out loans. After the worms are extracted, she wakes up to find her life ruined. She's lost her job, her finances are destroyed. Years later, she meets Jeff whom she may have a lot in common with.

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Plot Keywords:

psychological thriller | very little dialogue | caterpillar | nosebleed | checkbook | 

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 August 2013 (UK)

Also Known As:

Color a contracorriente

Filming Locations:

Dallas, Texas, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$28,649, 7 April 2013, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$444,098, 27 June 2013

Company Credits

Production Co:

erbp

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film that Kris is editing at the beginning of the movie is A Topiary, the film that Shane Carruth had begun production on before deciding to film Upstream Color instead.

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Goofs

When Kris saw the worms crawling under her skin, she stabbed her leg with knife so hard but when the camera showed her leg, the knife was only about 1-2cm in her leg.

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Quotes

Thief: The next drink must be earned and I'm going to tell you how. Focus closely on my instructions. I will ask you to repeat them from memory.

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies You've Probably Never Seen (2016)

User Reviews

Stays with you

I attended this film solo (only one other person in the theater) which turned out to be a good thing as distractions were nil. Carruth has a lot of respect for the viewer. He doesn't do exposition. And if you pay close attention to this film, you wont need it. Unlike other reviews I've seen, I found Primer much harder to suss out than Upstream Color. There was a clear narrative here and the main protagonists arc is clear to see. I loved it. It was intense, beautifully shot, scored, and of course acted, especially by Amy Seimetz, the lead. She was amazing. If you like your films delivered to you on a silver platter, then this is not for you. But if you like to think a little bit, you will find the 90+ minutes of Upstream Color thoroughly enjoyable. I hope it does very well. And I hope Carruth doesn't take another 8 yrs to do his next one.