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Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 44 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Craig Parkinson, Sam Riley, Samantha Morton
  • Summary: Ian Curtis has aspirations beyond the trappings of small-town life in 1970s England. Wanting to emulate his musical heroes, such as David Bowie and Iggy Pop, he joins a band, and his musical ambition begins to thrive. Soon, though, the everyday fears and emotions that fuel his music slowly begin to eat away at him. Married young, with a daughter, he is distracted from his family commitments by a new love and the growing expectations of his band, Joy Division. The strain manifests itself in his health. With epilepsy adding to his guilt and depression, desperation takes hold. Surrendering to the weight on his shoulders, Ian's tortured soul consumes him. (The Weinstein Company)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 25 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 27
  3. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Glenn Kenny
    100
    It's also that he's really, honest-to-God, got one of those movie faces that doesn't even come along once every generation. It's astonishing.
  2. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    100
    Even though we're aware of the tragic trajectory of the singer's life, for a while it almost seems as if reality got it wrong and Curtis might just squeak past the reaper's scythe with no more than a shave and a haircut.
  3. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Hartlaub
    50
    There's little illumination.

See all 27 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 23
  3. Negative: 4 out of 23
  1. KyleB.
    10
    This movie was excellent. I love the fact that they over recorded the songs with the band that they had in the movie, this makes the movie alot more interesting by watching and listening to how perfectly they learned joy divisions music to play for this movie.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. JoelF.
    10
    I love Joy Division since I was 12, for the past 15 years I always wondered why he killed himself. Control gave another perspective of Ian, his lyrics and his decision to cash his ticket to the other side..... One of the best movies!!!!!… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. EF
    3
    Beautiful but boring. Using the same old romantic individualist conceit, there are no unexpected twists and/or turns to differentiate this from dozens of other biopics. See David C.'s comments above.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 23 User Reviews

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