2018 Movie
Dir. Lynne Ramsay · France, UK · English
The performance of a pot-bellied Joaquin Phoenix is nothing short of perfection. He brilliantly portrays a hitman down on his luck who happens to rescue a kidnapped teenage girl. It’s a tight movie, running a short 89 minutes. It makes a point that sticks. Pure entertainment, pure acting, and amazing directing by Lynne Ramsay (who also directed We Need to Talk About Kevin).
A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, his nightmares begin to overtake him, and a conspiracy is uncovered—leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening.
"You Were Never Really Here is hard going: easy to revere, fascinating to explore, but nagging in its grimness and, were it not for the rooted presence of Joaquin Phoenix, difficult to believe in."
— Anthony Lane
Cannes
2 wins
BAFTA
1 nom
Spirit Awards
1 win · 3 noms
Sundance
1 nom
Nat. Board of Review
1 win
The Staff is the editorial team at A Good Movie to Watch, contributing reviews, recommendations, and streaming guides across film and television. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, we track over 100 streaming services in the US. Founded in 2014 by Bilal Zouheir, the team is built around human curation rather than algorithmic recommendations.
"Extraordinarily, Ramsay's film is not about people; instead it uses them and their bodies to explore American systems of power, and the abuse that develops within."
— Gina Telaroli