User Reviews

Un bon acteur bien sûr, qui incarne un gars pas bien dans sa tête, un traumatisé de guerre qui prend des cachets et travaille avec un marteau… alors de là à dire qu’il est marteau, le mec, il n’y a qu’un pas, je suppose !Mais ce n’est pas un gentil artisan, non, non, il résoud juste les problèmes avec un marteau, il casse la gueule littéralement et même qu’il est doué pour ça, à Thor ou à travers, là n’est pas la question ou juste un peu, histoire de rendre ce pauvre bougre en perdition plutôt sympathique… Comme dans ‘Taxi Driver’ à ce qu’il paraît…? sauf que pas du tout en fait, car l’ambiance ne fonctionne ici que les premières minutes (avec la musique électro), puis ensuite, tout se délite au gré d’un scénar extrêmement faiblard. Et par dessus le marché, le film connaît de graves baisses de rythme, à croire qu’il est sujet à la narcolepsie impromptue et indésirable malgré une réalisation qui se veut un minimuim recherchée. Bien que le film ne dure pas bien longtemps (1h23 avant le générique), il se traîne presque entièrement comme un hamster à moitié crevé et quant à la violence, elle reste rare et plutôt édulcorée en fait, mise à distance en quelque sorte… et malgré la dureté du sujet ici et là, le film fait juste pschiiiit et s’évapore presque entièrement… dans sa pédante prétention qui pète régulièrement plus haut que son cul (prouuuut).

A very well made movie. What I love most about this film is how realistic but at the same time surreal it is.

Visually adept. That's the best thing to be said about this slow, never quite gets there, piece of cinema. There's at least 185 establishing shots of the protagonist attempting suicide in the first 30 mins alone. It's over the top edgelord vibe doesn't fit the genre of film, any more than the slow as molasses pacing. There is a ham fisted attempt to use obnoxious ear splitting racket to set the mood, but rather than subtly making you uncomfortable the extreme changes in volume and pitch just completely destroy any immersion you find in the film. That is until, about a year and a half into the movie something actually happens, then of course the director chooses to go virtually silent with the audio. This film is as confused as a virgin at hedonism, and that's saying **** Never Really Care

Joe is a war veteran who has also survived many other battles. At home only his elderly and sick mother awaits him, with whom he has a relationship of great affection and patience. In a desolate New York full of secrets, whose noble profile always remains in the distance, Joe works as a mercenary for those who want to get rid of dangerous enemies but do not have the skill or the courage. His latest assignment is to rescue Nina, the pre-adolescent daughter of a local politician, from a child prostitution ring: an abused and offended creature who mirrors the man's past. Joe appears and disappears, often armed with a hammer, as if he had never been there, slashing and chasing with the same hallucinated intensity the devastating memories, both of his childhood at the mercy of a sadistic father, and of the war crimes committed behind him. the justification of a uniform. Joe's is a universe of lost children raised at the mercy of orcs and often become like them, a world in which man moves like an executioner, trying to patch up his life reduced to a puzzle of sensations and bad memories. Truly wonderful film and full of anguish this film by Lynne Ramsay, which tells a story already seen but always does it by putting the camera in the right place at the right time. An extraordinary performance by Joaquin Phoenix.

I must say that in the first 15 minutes i was still processing the movie, in terms of the character and the story, then the mission began, i was able to understand it and into the story, and it was just freakin' amazing till the end of the film, Joaquin Phoenix in one of his best performances, a mesmerising and stunning performance by Ekaterina Samsonov and they're chemistry was just perfect, it's a simple story and if the movie was just follow the basic story there is really nothing special at all, but director Lynne Ramsay didn't leave the real cold-blooded thriller spirit and characteresation backstory from the novel, and it was adapted to the film perfectly, overall, You Were Never Really Here was hell **** movie.

"You were never really here" is underestimated. It might be because people didn't understand it (I didn't at first). I don't really want to say much about this film but to watch it and pay attention to details and symbolism. Also, I think the director tries to give a message to everyone that has felt like the main character at anytime. And well, Joaquin Phoenix... watch it.

This is good example of a movie you will sit through, 'enjoy' to the best of your ability, admire its qualities, remark on its brilliance and subtlety, gush about its merits while... while... perhaps avoiding a second viewing. It is visceral and respects its audience in the right moments. The violence is never glorified. In fact, the viewer's imagination does a fair bit here which is fantastic. As an audience member, you participate in the film by filling in the blanks. For instance, you will see a body lying crumpled on the floor following the protagonist's vengeful progression through a certain location. It is up to the viewer to determine how said body was 'taken out'. As for the protagonist, Joe, a hired thug who specializes in freeing victims of child trafficking, you get initial glimpses of his past and slowly, you piece together why he fantasizes of suicide. Again subtle, well-made movie but with so much agony here, you appreciate his character, his journey, his efforts to liberate victims of sex crimes while again, thinking, once on this trip is enough. I got the point. Brilliant but I can check this box and move on.

A well constructed thriller that benefits from the casting of Phoenix as the lead. Dark and compelling.

Looks great, brilliant soundtrack. Shame about the movie. Too many arthouse cinematographers failing to work with decent directors and writers these days.

This film is an absolute must-see! The acting is phenomenal (outside of the kid actor), the action is very inspired (violent but rather tasteful), and the bizarre scenes and music are very brave, and in my opinion, excellent. The quick flashes of exposition that help us learn more about Phoenix's character that are littered throughout the movie are amazing. The writing is immaculate and very surprising when appropriate; and the writer is not afraid to have long scenes.

"You Were Never Really Here" é uma obra prima e já pode ser considerado um clássico contemporâneo. A trama, em sua base, é muito simples, e pode até ser confundida com outros filmes de ação genéricos no qual estamos acostumados, mas a nuance aqui é a direção de Lynne Ramsay, o que ela escolhe mostrar e o que ela quer nos dizer com aquilo. Aqui nossa perspectiva gira em torno do protagonista. A diretora quer nos imergir na sua cabeça, e isso fica explicito nos primeiros minutos do filme, onde não entendemos nada e fica a nossa escolha esperar que o filme nos diga algo ou começarmos a nos questionar sobre o que estamos vendo ali - isso é importantíssimo para ditar qual experiencia terás na obra. Joaquim Phoenix dá de tudo nesse papel. O seu personagem, Joe, não é explosivo, cabendo ao ator passar seus gatilhos de suicídio e confusões mentais através de pequenas nuances. A diretora auxilia muito com seus flashbacks, que são postos em momentos minimamente precisos, mostrando mais sobre sua sua infância, período militar e atuação no FBI. Uma coisa que sempre deixo claro é que a intenção vale muito. Lynne Ramsay não glamoriza a violência, e nem tem o intuito de nos entreter com isso. Muitas vezes, vemos a consequência dos atos do protagonista e sua reação após tudo aquilo. A cena onde ele entra no apartamento/hotel no qual acontecia a prostituição de menores demonstra muito bem isso. A câmera alternando frequentemente e o modo como a violência aqui é tão letal e crua é fantástico. A OST do filme acrescenta muito na tensão - tensão essa que muitas vezes é subvertida e tem uma conclusão inesperada. O que mais me deixa impressionado é que nada é feito por puro arranjo. Ele ter cantado com o cara que tinha matado sua mãe é algo que tem uma resposta visto todo o psicológico destruído do protagonista. A fotografia trabalha muito bem com planos detalhe e fechados. Foca muito nas expressões e muitas vezes serve como um retrato frio da violência que ali houve. O final foi surpreendente e certeiro. Até o fim o filme subverteu minhas expectativas sem que parecesse nada forçado. Como na cena onde ele finalmente se mata - até percebermos que tudo aquilo se passava na sua cabeça. E é claro que tudo isso foi possível também pela atuação minuciosa do Joaquim, que passa uma realidade no olhar, nas suas expressões, no seu movimento, no seu corpo que é de ficar embasbacado.

A raw thriller on child trafficking and Joaquin Phoenix the avenging angel gives an exceptional performance.

A really different movie than the ones you mostly get to see. Epic performance of Joaquin, solid story and great representation of a PTSD situation. I could only recommend it.

Quirky, interesting, disjointed, tense yet a touch too pretentious for my taste... and somehow very watchable. With a scatterbrain plot and various leaps of 'what is real', YWNRH is worth a look but for me, the film ultimately felt as if I was watching a primer for Phoenix's far more notable later performance in 2019's Joker!

This movie was absolute garbage. I'm never getting the time spent watching this **** back. I cannot believe what is starting to pass as a great movie these days. I watched this after seeing someone say it is a better movie than john wick 3. I dont know how a person can even compare them as movies. I feel like this had the potential to be something good instead the director just put a bunch of random scenes together and called it a day. It's hard to put into words how much I hated this ****ty movie.

I seem to be driven to write mostly negative reviews, so now I wanted to write a review of a movie I really liked. I watched this movie a year ago and then re-watched after seeing Joker. Phoenix gives a stellar performance in a tale that is dark, possibly too dark for many. The movie works with a positive vibe to working towards and ending that is touching. It made me cry. The acting this in this movie is supported by a story that is well written and centers itself on where it should: the characters. This allows the actors to invest and show us people who feel alive and whom you can connect with and maybe even care for. Phoenix has this remarkable skill to do this, which he also shows with Joker. These aren't easy characters to play. If you can stand unusual characters that might be hard to like or understand, then this is a movie you could try. Personally I would just do because if watching a movie with a story that makes good acting possible. Which in itself is a good reason to watch movies like these.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

An extraordinary movie. Written, directed and produced by Lynne Ramsey, and brilliantly edited by Joe Bini. This is not an "action extravaganza", and while it is violent, it is not gratuitously so. Phoenix's performance is astounding and nuanced. The camera, lighting and pacing are wonderful. Definitely not for kids or troglodytes.

Lynne Ramsay has shown herself to be an especially powerful voice in cinema, a filmmaker who prides upon working on her own terms and telling stories she wants to tell. The slight disadvantage of Ramsay’s selective methods mean that we see only sporadic offerings from her… yet when we do get to feast our eyes on a Lynne Ramsay project we’re not in for disappointment. You Were Never Really Here is the writer-director’s fourth film, a favourite at Cannes at 2017 and starring the exceptional Joaquin Phoenix. Based on a novella by Jonathan Ames, this is some of the finest work we have yet seen from Ramsay; harsh, bruising and raw, You Were Never Really Here is the psychological thriller as it’s meant to be done. Phoenix plays Joe, a brutal yet efficient gun for hire who specialises in finding and rescuing missing teens. We first meet Joe in the opening shot as he attempts to asphyxiate himself; it’s an uncompromising and harrowing image that sets the path of what is an uncompromising and harrowing film. Joe is ravaged by thoughts of suicide, tormented by memories of childhood abuse and wartime tragedy. He is hired by a Senator whose daughter has been kidnapped by a sex ring; it seems easy work for Joe until everything starts to go awry in a violent tale of mystery and trauma. It is tough to think of any way to adequately respond to this film other than to applaud it. Lynne Ramsay crafts a measured thriller, reeking with tension and thematic richness. It runs at a brief 90 minutes though doesn’t feel rushed; truth is, there’s no trimmings here… every shot is painstakingly rendered, every flickering look and every burst of remarkably contained violence reasoned and impactful. It’s a film of few words and this is absolutely to its credit- we understand so much more about Joe and his fragile mental state in that cruel silence. On the outset, one expects an action thriller, a Taken revenge story, but Ramsay turns all expectations on their head. You Were Never Really Here is a pure character study of a deeply troubled man. It’s a testimony of grief and mental torment and prefers quiet moments of tension over bloody gore. The film rests entirely on Joaquin Phoenix, who like Ramsay is delivering some of the most compelling work of his whole career. Phoenix utterly immerses himself in a character that is tragically believable and bolstered by an understated performance from the Oscar nom. However stupendous Phoenix is, Ramsay is the true maestro here. Her direction in this film is enough to quench any sceptics of her skill, a daring approach that lingers on moments of profundity but equally gives the audience no time to breathe. Though there are moments of alarming violence, this is not the focus of the film; we’re distanced from Joe’s ‘work’ (one certain sequence is viewed through the prism of a security camera) yet the fractured flashes of Joe’s damaged psyche are as real and horrifying as anything. In this brutality however there’s something eerily beautiful about You Were Never Really Here; it’s a film full of gorgeous and shocking visual poetry that takes an unnervingly surreal approach and blurs the field of reality- how much of what we are seeing is real and how much of is actually the tormented dreams of our troubled protagonist? It’s one of many interesting questions that is raised… but pleasingly never answered. The sparse dialogue here means there is a relieving lack of exposition; Ramsay isn’t leading you by the hand but rather allowing you to sink into the world she creates and form your own perspective. It’s a world conjured in an illusionary style by Thomas Townend’s judicious cinematography and elevated with unsettling vigour by a superbly atonal score by Jonny Greenwood. There’s something remarkable about You Were Never Really Here; lacking in ornamentation, everything on show here has some effect, every seemingly trivial shot meaning something more than it does on the surface. It’s a challenging watch but this is part of what makes this and the rest of Ramsay’s filmography so enthralling. Some will walk away asking deeper questions, others will walk away simply satisfied by an intense thriller. Either way, you’ll appreciate the raw craftsmanship behind it, every aspect perfectly aligned to create an eerie and mesmerising piece of cinema.

This is one of those films where everybody stares meaningfully at everybody else and the dialog occupies about three minutes of the total runtime. Also, there's a lot of popular music that I'm guessing comes out of the fifties. Maybe it's art. I'd rather play ping-pong.

Could those who gave this a ‘standing ovation’ have been abusing substances or on the payroll of the promoters? This again proves you may be able to fool some of the people, some of the time. I’d suggest the producers, B.F.I., Amazon Studios, etc, would have lost considerable sums of money with this pretend movie. As this overly convoluted maze progresses it makes you wonder how Joaquin Phoenix and other cast, managed to keep a straight face (might have been interesting to have seen their faces while they read the script) At times it looks as if the editor and director threw some footage in the air and spliced it together in the order it landed – then, attempted to copy Kubrick during one of his worst moments. In one scene, Phoenix jumps into a country lake and proceeds to endlessly sink into the deepest abyss (a-la Atlantic Ocean) who makes these foolish ‘technical’ decisions? The graphic violence (whether on or off screen) is as off-putting as the snail pacing and lack of worthy script - what sparse dialogue is uttered, is so poorly recorded and articulated most is unintelligible. Director/screenplay writer Lynne Ramsay has to shoulder much of the blame for this morbid failure to connect with a thinking audience (in preference to appealing to a nebulose, artsy bunch). While there may have been some stylish photography much of it looked like the operator forgot to turn off the camera between takes – with someone then thinking it looked so trendy they used it several times over. Mostly for those who want to read more into each scene than is articulated on screen or simply want to justify what they ‘think’ they understood, otherwise, a miserable experience that stretches its 85min R/T into tediously grotesque boredom and wastes a Phoenix performance.

You Were Never Really Here is one of those films that will make you shock and awe of how brilliantly crafted and masterfully shot this film is compared to the qualities of Drive and No Country for Old Men. No wonder why Joaquin Phoenix is making moves on being one of the very best actors in Hollywood history.

Incredibly boring, slow paced, too much downtime, and tries to be too many things. What I mean is: it has the setup of other similar "hitman saves girl" action movies, but the cinematography, audio design, and pacing of an artistic indie movie, but the narrative design of a crime thriller. It succeeds at none of these things. If, like me, you come from the trailer expecting tense and violent action, you'll be disappointed that it all happens basically off-camera. As others have said, far too much time is spent building up scenes with Joaquin Phoenix slowly walking through dimly lit areas taking up 90% of the film. Honestly this movie put me to sleep so I don't know if the ending makes it all worth it. Giving it a 4 because the performances were objectively good.

A film that by itself achieves something incredible, submerge us in the mind of an ex-marine with more traumas than memories, and adding the spectacular soundtrack of Jonny Greenwood, this year we have one of the best dramas, mysteries, thrillers with touches of crime. 86.6 / 100 (8)

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

I really don't like this film and I'm glad that I don't watched it in theater. I love Joaquin Phoenix as actor and person, but I don't understand why he was worked with it. This is no like "Drive" movie, the characters are not disclosed here from the word "fully". Bad, very bad art-house movie in my vision

By its name really means, it is never really at anywhere. A mare overrated movie.

Movies like You Were Never Really Here only get good once you finish watching it. Which is a weird compliment, but in this case it is a very high compliment with how many layers and interpretations the film has that after you are done watching you think about what you saw and what it all meant. It festers in your subconscious that you can't help but think about it more and more until it finally bursts and you came to a conclusion on what it all meant...until you hear a theory that makes sense that you go mad about if your interpretation is right or if the other person's interpretation is about! That is definitely a high compliment! Joaquin Phoenix gives a great performance. I won't go as far as to call it his finest work, but he does carry this movie and understands a lot of this character and what the film is getting at. Phoenix is like a chameleon whenever he takes a role. You buy who the character is instead of seeing Joaquin Phoenix, and I bought such an interesting and unique character. Lynne Ramsey also deserves a lot of credit. This is the first movie I seen from her, knowing her from her previous film We Need to Talk About Kevin, one that's been on my watchlist for the longest time. After seeing this movie, I want to watch it. Every shot in this film is crisp and polished, and you get transported in what feels like another world, one that is alien-like but also intense and eerie. There's an atmosphere in this film that is just so off-putting you can't help but be **** in. A large thanks to this goes to Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood working on the movie score (although it doesn't beat his work with PTA), benefiting with the other worldly score composition. All of which benefits from the brain chewing story where you aren't truly sure what is going on. Like mentioned before, there are so many layers and theories to mull over that it just entices you to truly learn more about what exactly is going on, which makes for a great watch that will surely benefit the more you watch it. There are a few issues I did take with this film. For one, the first act is pretty sluggish. It takes a while until the movie really gets going, but the first act of the film feels more like a slog to get through. Another issue, and admittingly this one is more nit-picky on my end but I know some would take issue with this, is that it is obvious when people aren't being hit. Overall, great movie and definitely one I'll be thinking about for a while now. I know this isn't a movie for everyone, so I will say is that if you are interested in watching a slow but interesting psychological crime thriller that will make you ponder, then give this a watch!

one of the best cinematic experience of the year. very solid and clean. Phoenix performance is very powerfull and mesmerizing!

Con una premisa que recuerda a Taxi Driver, la película se narra de forma lineal, pero para mostrarnos al personaje de Joe, se vale del uso de "flashbacks", que reflejan el estado mental en que el se encuentra a causa de todo lo vivido en la guerra, los abusos que sufrió de niño y todo lo que vio en el mundo de la trata de personas, un recurso bien utilizado . Al igual que Taxi Driver la película maneja el estilo del cine negro. Con una fotografía y un buen uso de colores la directora crea escenas con un gran impacto visual y con simbolismos. La actuación que le valió a el premio a mejor actor en la pasada edición del Festival de Cannes, es excepcional, logrando meterse completamente en el personaje atormentado y sombrío que tiene que representar. La película logra sacar la esencia de Taxi Driver y así crear escenas de gran logro estilístico.

You spend half the movie trying to figure out what's going on, in the end you're left saying "that's it?" All held together by an incredibly weak premise with virtually no exposition.

This movie was a big piece of **** devastatingly boring. Just watch the trailer and save yourself a call to the suicide hotline

The film begins with a great premise, a mentally scarred veteran who traverses the criminal underground for jobs and drugs. Accompanied with an electrifying and pulsating soundtrack, it promises tense thrills to come. When they do come however, it is often happening off-camera or simply skipped altogether, showing only the aftermath of a conflict. With the thriller aspect of the film missing, all that is left are long and often boring scenes of silent contemplation by the characters. The plot doesn't inspire you to think as it's pretty straightforward: Human trafficking is bad, and murder can make you suicidal. Don't intend to watch again.

You Were Never Really Here is the story of an ex-FBI agent turned hired gun named Joe (Joaquin Phoenix). He has been hired by a senator to track down a 13 year old girl who was kidnapped and to inflict as much pain on the kidnappers as possible. But in his attempts to track them down, he seems to fall down a rabbit hole which leads to nothing but more violence and pain. However this story is rarely the focus and instead offers Lynne Ramsay to explore who Joe is and the horrible memories that plague his mind. As a hit-man he’s very effective, taking down his targets with nothing more than a hammer, some duct tape and a plastic bag. But as a person he is a fractured individual who is unable to escape the demons from his violent past. This past as rarely talked about, but instead we have to piece his past through brief glimpses of the person Joe has become. We see this through the physical scars on his back, dark memories of an abusive father and sudden flashbacks of the horrors he witnessed whilst working as an FBI agent. There are often times when Joe will be doing something as mundane as waiting for a train, when we’ll suddenly get the distinct impression that he’s seriously considering jumping on to the tracks. In spite of having relatively little dialogue, Phoenix’s performance sits alongside the greats like Robert DeNiro in Taxi Driver or Christian Bale in American Psycho as a portrait of a man who is unable to escape the dark thoughts which are plaguing his mind. His constant detachment to almost everyone around him mixed with his look of pure anguish shows the hard life he has put himself in, whether he deserves to be there or not. Oddly enough, in spite of how much death and violence happens in the film, we rarely see these acts of violence on screen. Instead we are often left with the visual aftermath of this violence, along with the physical and emotional scars that Joe carries with him. It distinguishes the film from other detective thrillers and mixed with Jonny Greenwood's pulsating score perfectly capturing the rhythm of the films hypnotic imagery. But the main thing that shines through the film is Lynne Ramsay’s vision of this painful life. She never relents on the cold atmosphere of violence that Joe seems to be trapped in and through this creates a powerful feature showing a damaged life, but still somehow leaves enough light at the end of the tunnel to make us think that some kind of redemption or release could still be possible.

Story: A middle-aged, ex-military man named Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) spends his days tracking down young girls for their parents, and he's willing to get violent if they're in some kind of trouble. At night, however, he returns to his home with his mother and is a relatively good son. After starting what he thought would be a fairly simple job, an event happens that completely changes everything, and he is forced down a very interesting, and brutal, path. This is a dark and violent story. And I say story because a lot of the actual brutality isn't shown. There's a very violent scene that's shown through security cameras, which lessens the blow of the scene. Also, a lot of the kills are also shown in ways that let the audience know what is happening but don't show them all of the blows like some other films do, such as Drive. I'm not opposed to this kind of stuff being shown on-screen, but I really respect the decision by the director to have such a brutal story but not necessarily show all of the brutality to the audience. I think a big reason for this choice is because the audience isn't necessarily meant to focus on the violence but rather on the story, and how truly dark it is. The director didn't want this to be a typical revenge story that people go to see just for the action. The path Joe ends up on as a result of this job reveals stuff that happens in the real world that we often don't want to think about. The way Joe's backstory and motivation behind what he does is incredibly well done. It's done through little flashbacks throughout the film, and we don't truly understand these flashbacks until we need to. This film also subverts expectations towards the end in a way that I initially made me think "Ah, man", but the more I thought about it the more I liked the way the story concluded. However, I think a big reason for the mixed reaction this film has received from general audiences is because of the choices I just mentioned. People who go in expecting lots of on-screen violence? They'll be disappointed. People who can't get over how the little twist towards the end? They'll really make their displeasure known. It is inevitable with films like this one. Characters: Joaquin Phoenix once again puts in a tremendous performance as Joe, and if anything this performance gave me confidence that he's going to do the Joker justice. Sure, he's technically the good guy in this film, but there's a lot of darkness inside his character and he does a really great job of portraying that. Script: This film won best screenplay at the Sundance Film Festival, so it's no surprise that the script is fantastic. Overall: Like most indie films, this one isn't for everyone, but I thought it was very good. Go for the story, not for the violence.

A great performance by Joaquin Phoenix and good cinematography is squandered by strange editing choices, a weak script, and an overall lack of clarity in what the film aimed to achieve. Worth seeing if you want to see a great performance from Phoenix, but otherwise? Skip it.

I found this film so fantastic, interesting, this is one of the best films of the year, its so quite, fascinating, this i think is a 101 on visual storytelling in my book

Beautiful cinematography, phenomenal acting and intense scenes. The movie is surprisingly beautiful despite the amount of gritty and grim stuff in the movie. The plot is rather basic with a mix of taken and oldboy to it but it's enough to keep your attention. The movie isn't for everyone. Not much happens in the movie and a lot of the camera shots are purely for visual and doesn't add anything. The movie doesn't hold your hand in telling you what is happening and it is up to you figure it out on your own. The movie is worth a watch and whether you like it or not will depend on you

The technical brilliance of these indie films can't make up for how detached they make the viewer feel as the main character breathes, pumps gas, drinks water, lies in bed, etc. You Were Never Really Here is a strange mixture of frenetic and molasses-slow filmmaking. It's an interesting way to create an art picture and takes a lot of time and attention to weave together the details and cuts. But the lack of dialogue, general slowness, and how little we really know about the characters makes me lose interest.

You Were Never Really Here is a fantastic drama/character study and a decent revenge/thriller. Some of the action scenes and kills leave you unsatisfied, the score reminded me of Drive a bit too much and I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, but overall this film left me enamoured by Lynne Ramsay's beautiful and unique direction and Joaquin's wonderful acting.

There comes a point when a film is so elite in so many ways that it must be called a masterpiece. The absolutely electrifying gifts that both Lynne Ramsay and Joaquin Phoenix give us in You Were Never Really Here unite in such a way that is rarely seen in any medium. This work of art does everything it sets out to do and more; every shot is a painting, every sound is carefully chosen, and every moment brings the audience along in a way that knows better than we do. You Were Never Really Here is a film that doesn’t mind being misunderstood on a surface level because it penetrates its viewers so deeply, it cannot be denied. From the very beginning, You Were Never Really Here displays its artful cinematography and disorienting sound as it takes us through the life of a broken man. Joaquin Phoenix disappears into his role and makes the viewers feel genuinely empathetic and completely terrified at the same time. The seamless and creative editing allows the audience to soak in his ugly life and feel his disjointed reality. This precision in every frame (artfully crafted by Ramsay), in each performance (all paced by Phoenix), and in each sound results in an experience that is unparalleled. I expect You Were Never Really Here to be in the discussion for Best Picture of the Year all year. Writing: 10/10 Direction: 10/10 Cinematography: 10/10 Acting: 10/10 Editing: 10/10 Sound: 10/10 Score/Soundtrack: 9/10 Production Design: 8/10 Casting: 10/10 Effects: 8/10 Overall Score: 9.5/10 Original Article: ****

A new, hallucinating way for narrate a film-noir. Joaquin Phoenix is remarkable as the anti-hero in a search in a place far from Heaven but closer to Hell. The collapsing end will make you wonder if shall watch it again.

Ramsay fez mais sensualmente filmes arrebatadores, mas isso pode ser o mais formalmente exigente: nenhum tiro ou corte aqui é ocioso ou estranho. A câmera calma e fresca de Townend encontra textura rica e contraste em imagens aparentemente comuns, seja uma faixa de sombra passando por uma omoplata quando ela se enrola, ou a ondulação aveludada de um saco de lixo debaixo d'água. A edição do Bini, combinando linhas do tempo e pontos de vista em pinceladas brilhantes, dá ao filme o ritmo de um curto espaço de tempo em uma queima lenta. Enquanto isso, o hipnótico hipnótico personagem de apoio de Greenwood talvez até supere suas colaborações de Paul Thomas Anderson por sua variedade instrumental e sua bravata, passando de gritos para o violão discordante de uma guitarra com o que soa como um par de cordas estaladas. Em um filme de Lynne Ramsay, até mesmo os elementos off-key são perfeitamente escolhidos; um estudo requintado e ansioso em danos, "You Were Never Really Here" sabe exatamente o valor de suas cicatrizes.

Impressively stylish, effectively moody and intelligent in its investigation of the frustration of circumstance and loneliness, Ramsay's masterpiece is the real deal as a study of masculinity. Excellently performed - Phoenix is as good here as ever - and wondrously crafted, You Were Never Really Here is, alongside Call Me By Your Name, the cream if 2017's crop.

What an incredible film with an outstanding performance from Joaquin Phoenix and great direction from Lynne Ramsay. The best film of 2018 so far in my opinion.

I think I've found it - the best movie of 2017. After the excellent We Need to Talk About Kevin, Lynne Ramsay has outdone herself with You Were Never Really Here. She has proven herself to be one of the best directors working today. This movie is a tour de force reminiscent of Taxi Driver. It's one of those rare movies in which the acting, direction, and soundtrack combine to create a work of art that is greater than the sum of its parts. Though the movie is often violent and disturbing, there are many moments of beauty as well, such as Nina quietly counting backward while riding in the car or water slowly dripping off of her hair. Joaquin Phoenix, as usual, is a revelation. He absolutely deserved his Best Actor award at Cannes. Also, Jonny Greenwood has created probably his best score to-date for this film. Some of the music reminds me of Remain in Light by Talking Heads. VERY cool. Try to see it while it is still in theaters!!

I have yet to see Joaquin Phoenix give a performance in which he does not completely steal the show. You Were Never Really Here just may be his greatest, most raw work yet. It never, not even for a second, feels like he’s acting. I never once saw an actor on the screen, but a broken, sick man in search of some sort of meaning to his life. You Were Never Really Here is not a film meant for casual viewing. Its dark and brutal subject matter of PTSD, sex trafficking, depression, corruption, abuse of authority, and violence is explored in great detail. But the way it’s portrayed makes for a deeply moving story. The direction style goes for a lot of symbolic storytelling and for the most part, it works. When it does work, it presents a strong commentary on the dark aspects of life and how there’s always some light at the end of the tunnel. But where this film doesn’t really work lies in much of its presentation. There are some plot points and character arcs that feel like they have entire scenes missing from them. The plot synopses of this movie tell us that the main character, Joe, is a Gulf War veteran and an ex-FBI agent but there’s little to no material in the film itself to tell us that. There are some flashback scenes that almost feel unfinished, like they don’t really fulfil their purpose in telling us about the characters. Although the musical score works very well with how the movie is shot, the visual editing is choppy between scenes and the pacing is uneven, often shifting quickly between slow and fast pacing that makes for a confusing experience. But these issues don’t detract from the overall effectiveness that the film shows in delivering its message in a forceful way. The fantastic performances and simplistic, melancholy script immersed me in the life of Joe in such a way that I truly felt he was real, and that made his experiences that much more meaningful and relatable by the end of the story. You Were Never Really Here is an ambitious work of art. It juggles a lot of controversial, uncomfortable themes and even though it sometimes fails to hold them all in place and articulate them to their necessary extent, it manages to come through with a hopeful, emotionally resonant narrative that is essential viewing in these difficult times we live in. Story: 6 Acting: 10 Script: 8 Visuals/Sound: 7.5 Entertainment Value: 8.5 OVERALL SCORE: 8/10

This movie is a very dark and violent psychological thriller, definitely NOT for every taste. Sometimes you come out of a theater and think to yourself "what have I just seen?" Usually an experience like that leaves me irritated or even frustrated about time wasted. Not this movie. It is full of memory flashes some of which might be dreams that never occurred. Reality mixed with a sick mind's hallucinations of a war veteran with PTSD who was abused as a boy. You never have a full picture, only small fragments, and you have to think to make it whole. That is intriguing in itself since you cannot be sure you got it right. Great performance by Joaquin Phoenix, intense albeit somewhat intrusive sound track, fantastic cinematography. Overall, a piece of art made by talented people.

Slow pacing throughout ruined the film for me. Too much action takes place off screen. The sound design with annoying screeching and seemingly random use of stingers make viewing tedious my party considered walking out. Thankfully the experience is only a hour and a half.

While on a first watch I was utterly confused I had the urge to watch it again... then again. This movie may have some small flaws i noticed here and there nothing that ruined the movie for me. While I was a fan of the directors last film "We Need To Talk About Kevin" this i feel is a step up for the up and coming director making me excited for her next piece of work.