X
- 2015
- R
- IFC Films
- 1 h 47 m
- 2015
- R
- IFC Films
- 1 h 47 m
Summary In the elite realm of Oxford University, no society is more exclusive than The Riot Club, the ultra-selective fraternity for Britain's most privileged sons. When he's recruited to join, down-to-earth first-year student Miles (Max Irons) is at first amused—but he's about to get a taste of upper-crust entitlement at its ugliest when a hedo...
Directed By: Lone Scherfig
Written By: Laura Wade
- 2015
- R
- IFC Films
- 1 h 47 m
- 2015
- R
- IFC Films
- 1 h 47 m
The Riot Club
54
5.8
Where to Watch
Summary In the elite realm of Oxford University, no society is more exclusive than The Riot Club, the ultra-selective fraternity for Britain's most privileged sons. When he's recruited to join, down-to-earth first-year student Miles (Max Irons) is at first amused—but he's about to get a taste of upper-crust entitlement at its ugliest when a hedo...
Directed By: Lone Scherfig
Written By: Laura Wade
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 18 Critic Reviews
54
22% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
67% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
11% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 18 Critic Reviews
54
22% Positive
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
67% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
11% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
Lone Scherfig (“An Education”), the Danish filmmaker who directed the movie from a screenplay by Ms. Wade, has coaxed wonderfully nasty performances from a young cast.
There’s a flicker of déjà vu seeing Max Irons step into the role of a posh Oxford University student in The Riot Club. Irons has inherited the cheekbones and silky voice of his father, Jeremy Irons.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 25 User Ratings
5.8
28% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
52% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
20% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 25 User Ratings
5.8
28% Positive
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
52% Mixed
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
20% Negative
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
Based upon the popular west end hit play Posh, this opened up film adaptation is a far more successful enterprise and brings clarity to the jealous rivalry which is a core ingredient propelling the rest of the story forward. Sam Claflin and Max Irons play two students who are newly recruited into the said club, which has been a tradition at their school for many years. Claflin quickly has his nose put out of joint when Irons wins an initiation test forced upon them by the existing 8 members, and the seeds are sown for a revenge which turns out to be more potentially damaging than any of the boys could have imagined.
Whereas the play more or less just set the scene for the dinner itself where vandalism, violence and the high jinks of a bunch of ‘spoilt brats’ is the order of the day, the film carefully sets up Claflin's jealousy and dislike for his study partner which results in bloody violence. The set piece, the dinner scene, is expertly handled. Director Lone Scherfig places us right in the middle of the group as a participant one moment and then pulls his camera back to allow us to observe with some horror the behaviour of the so called ‘privileged class’.
Most of the actors involved are from the original play staged in London’s west end and everyone seems comfortable with their character. Irons plays Miles as a decent guy with a conscience caught up in events that are essentially alien to him, whereas Claflin totally fits in to the spirit of the group. His is undoubtedly the standout performance.
The play was undoubtedly very enjoyable and yet any scepticism about what the film could bring to make the material seem fresh proves unwarranted. In fact the story has actually been pulled in to sharper focus giving more context and understanding of the characters motivations and their subsequent actions.
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The Riot Club = Angry Privileged Club. The film portrays such realistic behavioral elements, so much so that it is truly unsettling to watch when it escalates. The real day modern Oxford may not be this way, but it certainly exists elsewhere. This movie is good as a real life horror film that reminds us of many of the horrific things that are deliberately propagated with and through accumulated wealth, legacy, and white privilege.
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Wade’s dialogue is totally convincing, all in-jokes and boarding school banter... The trouble with The Riot Club is that dramatically it never quite comes together.
It makes for entertaining viewing but its power is undermined by a ultimate lack of insight amongst the debauchery.
It’s a film that seems to have no further point than to remind us that some powerful jerks were once powerful jerk kids. Point taken, but it’s not cinematically satisfying.
All of that star-making and directorial grace Scherfig possesses is substituted for a bludgeoning attempt at provoking the British elite into taking a long hard look at themselves through a cracked mirror. She retains her confrontational sensibilities with none of the subtlety, and hammers a single message to mind-numbing effect.
The thinly sketched characters of the film are numerous and inconsequential, with director Lone Scherfig giving sparse attention to humanizing or deepening them.
Un film déconcertant qui dénonce d'une part le comportement déliquescent (et délinquant) de **** et gros bourgeois friqués nés avec une cuiller en argent dans la bouche et le cul dans le beurre, mais qui d'autre part offre une certaine complaisance à leur égard, complaisance qui énerve un brin la plèbe que nous sommes, irritée de la morgue déployée en grande pompe ici par cette bande de **** connards.
Evidemment, il s'agit d'étudiants -les pires d'entre eux à dire vrai- et en tant que tels, on sait leur prétention et leurs travers, sans compter leur bêtise à faire mourir de honte le collégien de base : le film a le mérite à cet égard de montrer que la racaille reste la racaille, qu'elle soit ruisselante d'argent et de noble ascendance ou qu'elle fasse du rap et/ou brûle des bagnoles. Après un tel dérapage (digne d'un fait divers) de nos si chers génies promis aux plus brillants avenirs, on aurait pu s'attendre à une bien meilleure conclusion que celle qui nous est proposée, escamotée ici. Evidemment, le film se réfugie dans le #padamalgam 50mg (à prendre aux heures des repas) avec l'un des membres de ce "Riot Club" qui n'est en fait qu'un gentil con qui s'est laissé entraîner à l'insu de l'ignorance de son plein gré, Votre Honneur.
Malgré quelques longueurs, malgré en vérité tout ce qu'il soulève plus ou moins maladroitement, le film fait indéniablement réfléchir et réagir, ce qui n'est déjà pas si courant à notre époque : à voir donc mais avec des pincettes et un bon Tranxène pour rester calme.
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This film offers up some interesting character studies on the effects of money and social class and how detrimentally they can affect the people around them, due to a sense of deluded authority. It's kind of a more extreme look on how upper class people can treat middle class etc, exaggerated for thematic effect but with visible similarities. The performances are really good and the subject matter would've been an interesting one to explore, but they don't develop it enough and just more make a film about rich boys being horrible to others due to their wealthy position. It becomes a slightly unlikable watch as you go further into it, but the premise and acting should be noted as its pros. Not a must see but one worth picking up at a reduced price.
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The effort in the 20 seconds I just spent on thinking of how to rate this film seems substantially more than the producer and director spent on honestly caring if this turned out to be a good film or not. I generously give it a 3 only because of Amber Anderson's attractive qualities and the one bit of intelligence the casting crew made on attaining her services.
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This movie has a lot of positive reviews from critics, and I don't know why? to me this movie was a big pile of ****
The Riot Club is about the two first-year Oxford University students, Miles and Alistair, join the institution's infamous "dining club" - where money and privilege reign and rules are made to be broken.
Now I'm going to dive in straight away why I really dislike this movie and why on earth this movie got a positive reaction to people.
The character in this movie have to be the most despicable, rude, A- holes in a movie history. I hated every single one of them in this movie, I wish those A-holes will get death at the end and I was extremely disappointing that it didn't happen. I liked the actors but not the character's.
The movie itself has nothing to give if it's interesting or remember-able. Boring and dull is what this movie gives to us and I think the directing and the writing has something to do with it. 7.9 out of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes really? well they give sharknado a 8.2 out of 100% so what the hell, and yeah you be thinking that I'm viewing this movie by it's rating, but people are going to look the rating and "Hmm should be good",I just hate that a bad movie that doesn't even try get's a high rating and better movie that always get overlooked get the low rating or nobody see it at all.
Now for the good: The acting was good, the way the film is shot was pretty neat. And that's it, this movie blows.
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Production Company
Film4,
HanWay Films,
British Film Institute (BFI),
Universal Pictures International (UPI),
Pinewood Pictures,
Blueprint Pictures
Release Date Mar 27, 2015
Duration 1 h 47 m
Rating R
Tagline Filthy. Rich. Spoilt. Rotten.
Awards
Abu Dhabi Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
British Screenwriters' Awards
• 1 Nomination
