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Bronson

EMAILPRINTMagnet Releasing

Bronson reviews
71
8.5 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 22 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 6 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Action  |  Drama  |  Suspense/Thriller

Written by: Brock Norman Brock

Directed by: Nicolas Winding Refn

Release Date:
Theatrical: October 9, 2009
DVD: February 9, 2010

Running Time: 92 minutes, Color

Origin: UK

Summary

RATING: R for violent and disturbing content, graphic nudity, sexuality and language

Starring Tom Hardy

In 1974, a misguided 19 year old named Michael Peterson decided he wanted to make a name for himself and so, with a homemade sawn-off shotgun and a head full of dreams he attempted to rob a post office. Swiftly apprehended and originally sentenced to 7 years in jail, Peterson has subsequently been behind bars for 34 years, 30 of which have been spent in solitary confinement. With an intelligent, provocative and stylized approach, BRONSON (based on a true story) follows the metamorphosis of Mickey Peterson into Britain's most dangerous prisoner, Charles Bronson. (Magnet Releasing)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

Bronson owes a little or a lot to Kubrick's "Clockwork Orange," but if that's a crime I wish more people would commit it.

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90

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Bronson invites you to admire its protagonist as a pure, muscular embodiment of anarchy. And perhaps you will, but you may also be glad that he’s still behind bars.

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90

Los Angeles Times Gary Goldstein

Whether it's Peterson/Bronson's more theatrical bits or his untamable character's many blood-spitting, knuckle-beating, explosions, Hardy chomps down on his once-in-a-career role with stunning ferocity and never lets go. He's extraordinary.

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83

The Onion (A.V. Club) Noel Murray

There are two Bronsons on display here: the impossible thug that we don’t dare release into polite society, and the guy we enjoy watching do his terrible thing. The man and the movie are both living, punching contradictions.

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80

NPR Scott Tobias

He's neither victim nor hero, but a man who, in every conceivable sense, belongs behind bars.

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80

Time Out New York Joshua Rothkopf

Refn has somehow found his way to an authentic English hard-man drama, anchored in a dynamite performance, even as it celebrates thug life.

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80

Arizona Republic Bill Goodykoontz

This is unhinged genius, an amazing piece of acting. Brutal, yes, but magnetic all the same.

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78

Austin Chronicle Kimberley Jones

Refn’s artful and energetic film never goes further than face value.

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75

Boston Globe Ty Burr

Bronson isn’t a story in the traditional sense at all. It’s a meditation on the art of rage - an action painting passing itself off as an action movie.

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75

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

It's played with real zest and energy, and if you can stand the heat it gives off it may charm you despite yourself.

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75

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

Hardy is remarkable, however. This is an actor with a memorably expressive rasp of a voice, both blunt and musical.

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75

New York Post V.A. Musetto

Tom Hardy gives an amazing performance as Peterson, who took on the nickname Charlie Bronson, after the "Death Wish" actor.

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75

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

This movie and Hardy's electrifying performance will knock you for a loop.

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75

Philadelphia Inquirer David Hiltbrand

The tone is surreal, at once visceral and clinical, making Bronson an unsettling experience: savage, disturbing, and yet somehow fascinating.

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75

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

It is 92 minutes of rage, acted by Tom Hardy.

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70

Chicago Reader Staff (Not credited)

With an intelligent, provocative and stylized approach, Bronson (based on a true story) follows the metamorphosis of Mickey Peterson into Britain's most dangerous prisoner, Charles Bronson.

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63

ReelViews James Berardinelli

It's lively and vivid but ends up leaving the viewer indifferent to the central character, his life, and his dubious place in British pop culture.

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60

Variety John Anderson

Too smart/arty for the slasher set, and too violent for high-brows, Bronson may have a tough time finding its niche, although it has "cult hit" written all over it.

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50

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

Bronson is one of those “based on a true story” dramatizations where the theatrically staged drama only gets in the way of the more interesting truth.

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30

Village Voice J. Hoberman

Bronson is essentially a faux-operatic, music hall turn--a larky, lumpen version of "Lola Montès."

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30

The Hollywood Reporter Stephen Farber

Despite the artistic flourishes, this is still an utterly repellent look at a psychopath who does not deserve the attention of the filmmakers or the audience.

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25

San Francisco Chronicle Walter Addiego

It's an assaultive work about an assaultive fellow.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Martin B gave it a9:
Anyone who doesn't like this movie simply just doesn't get it. Maybe it's a British thing (I'm Irish but have grown up on British TV) or maybe it's particularly enjoyed by those who like Theatre of the Absurd (Beckett etc), but this is without doubt one of the best movies of the last ten years.

Capo R gave it a6:
Nicely portrayed but it lacks the elements to make it a very good movie.

Orwell B. gave it an8:
Bronson is more than entertainment. It is art with Tom Hardy at the centre. You have to see Tom Hardy’s performance to believe it. Simply fantastic!

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