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True History of the Kelly Gang
18TC (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES)
2020
MOVIE IS
historical
remarkable
surrounding
australian
contradictory
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47 %
79 %
Certified Fresh
$ 0 Million
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True History of the Kelly Gang
Positive Reviews
114
Negative reviews
19
Average Rating
3.6
/5
historical
remarkable
surrounding
australian
contradictory
All
Positive
Negative
3.2
And life doesnt get easier when the boys father dies, leaving the family without steady income or protection.
EW
4.4
This is myth making, splattered in blood, scored with an electric guitar, and enacted with such brazen bigness that you wouldnt be surprised if the ca ..
Rogerebert
4.0
Freedom fighter or murdering criminal True History of the Kelly Gang doesnt answer that question, nor does it try to.
Common Sense Media
3.5
Its a furious, decade spanning ride that works in fits and starts, propelled by undeniable kinetic energy on par with the messy legacy of its subject.
Indie Wire
4.5
Kurzel will repeatedly undercut the ennobling grandeur of epic filmmaking with such disorienting details and disconnects.
Variety
2.0
The climax is a punky, Peckinpah lite splurge that jettisons the emotion and power in a hail of lead.
Time Out
4.0
The 19th century Australian outlaw Ned Kelly is given a rocknroll makeover in Justin Kurzels swaggering, defiantly ahistorical drama.
The Guardian
4.0
The problem of parsing Ned Kellys story is at the centre of this film. To watch it, you have to brace for impact.
The Guardian
3.1
Then theres Andrei Tarkovskys Stalker, which transfigures Arkady and Boris Strugatskys briskly paced novella Roadside Picnic into a slow, mesmerizing ..
4.5
This full blooded essay in Australian Gothic achieves an authentic epic sweep, although its unrepentantly poetic tone, along with somewhat baggy episo ..
Screen Daily
1.2
The facts are muddled as hell, and their depiction doesnt tell us anything about the characters.
Collider
4.5
The thrashing, uncontrolled quality of the blood drenched climactic action, while it doesnt always make for narrative clarity, does fit with the doome ..
The Hollywood Reporter
1.5
Grant and Kurzels conceptions of the characters are so one dimensional they seem to defeat the movies talented cast.
The New York Times
4.0
This is a tautly paced, very human study of everyday people harboring big secrets.
IGN
1.5
There are stretches of The True History of the Kelly Gang, especially in the first half, that are undeniably compelling, but as it goes on and on it j ..
E Film Critic
5.0
The result less resembles a conventional period piece than Kubricks Barry Lyndon with its fingers jammed in the plug socket.
Telegraph
4.5
True History of the Kelly Gang, for its part, strikes just the right balance of scary and crazy, and it subjects both to an impressive measure of disc ..
4.0
Though theres no freeze frame romanticism here, just the immutable truth of what happened after Kellys gang were tracked down.
4.0
While the on screen violence isnt at all over the top, there is an underlying darkness that intensifies as the film progresses, leading to a thrilling ..
JoBlo
2.5
For all its stylized flourishes and raw performances, True History of the Kelly Gangs confused narrative prevents it from fully taking off.
Screen Rant
3.2
That doesnt stop her, though, from selling the boy to Harry Power (Russell Crowe), a bearlike but apparently gentle fellow whos actually a notorious h ..
One Guys Opinion
2.5
A grim and uneven slog visual flourishes, inspired casting that leads to a few brilliant performances, and an exhausting mid section that halts the ac ..
Rogers Movie Nation
3.8
True History of the Kelly Gang isnt interested in making Ned heroic or relatable.
ReelViews
3.2
Neds growth and trauma is always more compelling than his outbursts, and Kelly Gang gradually loses urgency when it transitions from a tale of manhood ..
Blu Ray
3.1
ts style is more of an impediment to the movies potential depth than a complement to it.
Mark Reviews Movies
2.8
You get the details of the short, violent life of Ned Kelly in True History... and a couple of strong performances, but I never felt anything like emp ..
3.2
Justin Kurzel along with his Snowtown screenwriter Shaun Grant have refashioned the legend of Australias most notorious outlaw like a cross between To ..
3.0
A strange, almost mystical telling of the Ned Kelly story. George McKay blends nicely into the leading role of Ned.
You Tube
3.0
A big improvement on Mick Jaggers dandyish Ned Kelly of 1970, and a slight improvement on Heath Ledgers from 2003, MacKays is not some Aussie Robin Ho ..
The Times
4.0
stylish, intensely guttural and testosterone soaked adaptation of Peter Careys Booker prizewinning novel that, at its most affecting and disturbing, u ..
The Times
4.0
The attempt doesnt always succeed, but when it does, it works wonders.
Rolling Stone
1.5
But its an admirably ambitious and provocative movie nonetheless.
Decider
4.5
A bold, violent take on the 19th century Australian outlaw Ned Kelly, a monumental tour through what one character calls dirt and disappointment.
The Wrap
3.0
It may have been possible to adapt Careys florid book for the screen, but Kurzel fails to bring the basics. He goes straight for the flourishes, negle ..
Smh
4.0
Revisionist tale of the Australian folk hero rages against the dark forces that shaped him: emotional and economic neglect and abuse forged in patriar ..
4.0
In doing so, hes created something thats more pop art portrait than chapter and verse.
Flim List
1.5
Rock music, flashing lights, and modern clothes populate Kurzels singular vision; theres little objective truth to be found here.
Film Inquiry
4.5
Its often punishing and resistant to facile translation, but theres no denying the merciless power that Justin Kurzel brings, equating to what I would ..
Film Inquiry
3.8
Her performance is terrifying and unpredictable and you cant take your eyes off of her.
Observer
4.5
But, while flawed and occasionally uneven, Kurzels film defies convention at every turn: a spectacle both explicit and entrancing that lurches uncompr ..
Flickering Myth
4.0
Kurzel, like the rest of us, doesnt know whether the legend is true or not, but hes very interested in how exactly that legend came to be pop culture ..
Flickering Myth
4.0
The outlaw doesnt hold the same fascination in the public eye as it used to, unless theres a noble cause attached.
Flim Threet
4.5
If you dont get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.
Time
4.5
A tale of bodies and brutality, and of skin slick with blood spatter... Its a story of nature versus nurture, of a boy who is forced to be a man, and ..
Chicago Tribune
3.1
Starring George Mackay, Essie Davis, Russell Crowe, Nicholas Hoult, Charlie Hunnam, Thomasin McKenzie.
Boston Globe
4.0
The film doesnt exactly embrace its queerness, but a revel in the gangs taste for dressing as women takes us somewhere new for the antipodean western.
The Irish Times
4.0
That Ned isnt outshone by these vivid characters is entirely down to MacKays talent.
Standard
1.5
This movie isnt interested in telling that story, as The Nightingale did.)
Pajiba
4.5
Stripped of the dandy finery and sharp cuss words, hes nonetheless intriguing, plying promises with professional favors and pretty dresses.
Pajiba
4.4
Thanks to stylish direction, a fairly intriguing screenplay and phenomenal performances from its ensemble cast, namely MacKay, this is by far the best ..
3.8
This may not be the definitive movie about Ned Kelly, but its a skillfully made picture with plenty of thrilling drama.
Aisle Seat
2.5
While True History of the Kelly Gang is more than capable of plucking genuinely arresting moments, images and inklings from thin air... there just are ..
Herald Sun
4.0
A countrys violent history of oppression and thievery doesnt go away in a generation.
Vox
4.5
Its a visually stunning western tinged Oz opera about angry, beautiful men doing crimes whats not to love Nothing scares men like crazy.
Film School Rejects
4.5
Writer director Emerald Fennells debut feature isnt what previews made it out to be.
Film School Rejects
4.6
This is Ned Kelly via punk rock, Derek Jarman and avant garde theatre, and fact checking has no place in this inventively loopy psychodrama.
Film Ink
1.5
This time around hes George MacKay, that fresh faced young fellow who ran around a whole lot in last years 1917.
Maki At The Movies
4.0
Watch our interview with George MacKay: It doesnt always hang together its ramshackle, uneven, and open ended.
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
1.0
Like the eponymous hanged man, I just couldnt get no satisfaction.
Lw Lies
4.5
Its gritty and grimy, but surprisingly funny too, and cinematography superstar Ari Wegner does an excellent job in providing a real sense of the unfor ..
Lw Lies
1.5
A near incoherent ensemble piece that squanders an enviable cast, its the latest in a long line of films to take aim at Ned Kelly, only to glance off ..
Abc
4.0
The film is as good as its word, this version of the Kelly legend based on the Booker Prize winning novel by Peter Carey.
Ft
4.0
Theres a punkish swagger to the way Kurzel depicts the adult Ned as a strutting cockerel, furiously suppressing past traumas and inner doubts.
Independent Ie
4.5
READ MORE: * Five fabulous New Zealand tales worth revisiting this Mori Language Week * Billions: Neons erudite, witty and unpredictable high stakes d ..
Stuff
1.5
The lively brutality of that diction gets reined in, here, and reduced to hushed voice over.
Vanity Fair
4.0
Vivid satire vies with history, cartoonish vigour with real pain.
The Arts Desk
3.0
A weird, moody fictionalization of a historical figure that is occasionally inspired but often just perplexing.
The Filmy Ap
3.8
And the second, a harrowing moment when Fitzpatrick grabs Marys baby and points a massive gun at the infants head, threatening to shoot if Mom doesnt ..
Patriot Ledger
3.5
But this is Neds story, and in Neds mind, hes not a villain, hes an oppressed soul an Irish descendant in Australia tormented by the English.
Film
4.4
The films climactic moments are mesmerizing, stylized yet substantial and hauntingly devastating in their lasting impact.
3.0
His adrenalized lead performance fueled by a stellar supporting cast.
Movie Web
2.5
Russell Crowe and a superb ensemble cast in a bonkers version of the Ned Kelly legend, but is it fact or fake news
Dead Line
3.5
Take your pick, its a flawed film thats not intent on making any profound points only to make sure it gets the violence across surrounding Ned Kellys ..
Dennis Schwartz Reviews
5.0
Everything about Kelly Gang feels dangerous in the most exciting way possible.
One Room With A View
3.0
As an adult, hes played by George MacKay, who brings a vulnerability and ferocity that we havent seen in his performances before.
The Skinny
4.0
s the toxic alien presence exerts its grip on the surrounding area, both star and film go properly nuts, with Cage subdued one minute and howling at t ..
Scots Man
3.8
What distinguishes this adaptation is the unintuitive focus of its interests.
Film Avclub
1.5
Theres no suspense or mystery, just a series of jumbled, often contradictory events, held together by moody, atmospheric cinematography and hushed voi ..
Cbr
1.5
Despite Kurzels rather hollow arsenal of filmic pyrotechnics, True History of the Kelly Gang is worth seeing for its star turns, particularly MacKay a ..
The Daily Beast
2.3
Its a ferociously unpleasant experience, despite a sort of savage beauty.
Or Lando Weekly
3.2
Kurzels film proudly wears its immorality and celebrates people like Ned Kelly.
Fresh Fiction
4.5
And perhaps it isnt surprising that he does not paint himself as a crazed and wild assassin.
Bfi
4.4
But its certainly one that the filmmakers dont attempt to answer.
Third Coast Review
3.5
However, hes nearly overshadowed by Orlando Schwerdt as the childhood version of Kelly thanks to Kurzels more persuasively rendered first half of the ..
Ion Cinema
4.5
He out Malicks Terrence Malick and without all the ponderous navel gazing.
National Review
4.5
Achieving an effective tonal balance, the exemplary production values bring the film to life and complement powerful performances.
4.5
Its true to the punk spirit by celebrating an art form while subverting it.
Entertainment Voice
3.8
Ned Kelly stands at the center of True History of the Kelly Gang whose legacy in Australian culture leaves a vast footprint and in director Justin Kur ..
The Only Critic
2.5
Unfortunately, at the center of the tale is a great big void where Neds character should be, MacKays excellent acting undercut by a script that goes n ..
Film Festival Today
4.5
Remarkably this mash up manages to work far better than one would assume.
Battle Royale With Cheese
3.5
Here all that masculine ferality thats checkered his filmography takes root in larger societal ills.
The Film Experience
1.5
The movie relies too much on shorthand storytelling in some parts, and theres often not enough context for viewers who dont know the source material w ..
Screen Zealots
4.5
Its safe to say that it doesnt take long the homoerotic subtext of True History of the Kelly Gang to become text.
The Spool
3.8
Other times, its a lot of energy that still doesnt add up to a lot.
Hollywood News
4.5
The truly remarkable performance in True History is that of Russell Crowe as Harry Power.
Kdhx
3.0
Ferocious, captivating performances, an uncanny sense of mood and atmosphere that Justin Kurzel does so well, and a violent, esoteric crash into adult ..
2.5
The film is somewhat visually inventiveit doesnt look like any other Ned Kelly film.
Splice Today
2.0
Kurzel executes the film with remarkable visual flair, but I find its narrative devastatingly dull portraying the dark sides of Kellys criminal career ..
3.5
He pays Neds mother, Ellen (Essie Davis), for sex and his father, John (Ben Corbett), doesnt do anything about it.
Daily Dead
2.5
He remembers the hardship, oppression, and deceit endured during each and every day hes taken a breath.
Jaredmobarak
1.5
Such legends, as it were, are less about facts and more about truths, and the truths reached by this exciting, atypical thriller are more resonant tha ..
3.0
Moments that take us out of the film, trying to knock down its fourth wall... are premeditated, justified, within a Bretchtian discourse to exercise c ..
El antepenúltimo mohicano ..
4.0
Parts of the film are difficult, even unpleasant, but that is perhaps the only way to make sense of an imperfect folk hero.
Brightest Young Things
3.0
As the 124 minutes slowly crescendo into flashy incoherence you may struggle to work out what hes trying to say, but maybe it doesnt matter too much.
Metro News
4.4
The film is violent, absorbing, and a must for any western fan. Beautifully shot by cinematographer Ari Wegner. The cast is first rate.
Victoria Advocate
4.0
Starring George Mackay, Essie Davis, Nicholas Hoult, Orlando Schwerdt, Charlie Hunnam, Russell Crowe.
Hot Press
4.0
Like fatal flashes, it gleams of sordid beauty and a single certainty: there is no future.
Fotogramas
3.5
While True History of the Kelly Gang defiantly lacks historical accuracy, its filled to the brim with a fiery punk pathos essential to a film about an ..
That Shelf
3.5
Kurzel paints the outback in a thick, demoralizing red coat. However, if you can shake it, the gritty reality he creates extends its hand for unforget ..
Denton Record-Chronicle
3.0
Kurzel appears to be interested in the intersection between hyper masculinity and any behaviour that doesnt conform to those ideals, but unlike in Sno ..
The Digital Fix
3.5
True History of the Kelly Gang is a punky expressionistic blur of sound and light that makes the already chaotic story disorienting, and, most importa ..
Smash Cut Reviews
3.1
A stylish and visceral film that questions the veracity of the myths and legends that are part of every nations history.
3.0
True History of the Kelly Gang isnt perfect and isnt everyones cup of tea, but it has purpose, ambition, and doesnt fake the mans tale.
KSDK
4.5
Neds statement I dont right know what I am is itself an allegory for a confused hypermasculine nationalism that dominates Australian culture.
Father Son Holy Gore
4.0
The films brooding menace and brutal beauty create a post modern picture of an Australian hero.
Dogandwolf
4.5
Screenwriter Shaun Grant adapts Peter Careys Booker Prize winning novel in unfussy fashion.
Stabroek News
2.5
Neither true nor history, this flight of fantasy has too few moments of excitement buried in the taxing rhetoric.
Its Just Movies
2.0
LESSON #1: CHOOSING WHEN TO PULL A TRIGGER With that anecdote in mind, theres not a rushed gunpoint decision in this movie.
Every Movie Hasalesson
4.0
Nevertheless, the effective overdose of machismo it delivers trumps its minor flaws.
NME
3.5
Although Kurzels film is ultimately a bit short on insight, its undeniably drunk on a heady style thats variously forlorn, frenzied, and just plain su ..
3.2
For the first two acts director Justin Kurzel (Macbeth) takes the audience on an unexpected visual journey that doesnt follow any recognizable narrati ..
Texas Art & Film
3.5
As intense as it gets, the film never scratches the surface as much as the aforementioned The Propositions script does.
4.5
A film as chaotic and contradictory as the real man and, more importantly, the legend that he became. After more than 15 years of steady acting work, ..
MovieJawn
5.0
True History of the Kelly Gang issues a sharp bolt of electricity directly into the heart of this well worn legend, granting it an intoxicating energy ..
Flicks
3.8
As a dialectic about systemized inequality its in full flower and filled with both awesome imagery and some truly fantastic performances from actors w ..
VitalThrills.com
1.5
Justin Kurzels new film has some striking imagery and engaging performances but seems to lack the coherent storytelling required to drive home their i ..
3.5
embraces the legend of the man rather than the man himself, while also making a subtle statement about the English oppression of the Irish.
Next Best Picture
3.8
Still, theres some method to the madness that Kurzel puts onscreen.
Deep Focus Review
4.5
But theres no doubt the mythology surrounding Kelly has long since eclipsed any historical fact.
KMUW - Wichita Public Radi ..
4.5
MacKays manically vibrant performance is startling at times. Kellys gang is pursued by a relentless constable (a superb and borderline deranged Nichol ..
Niagara Gazette
4.5
Its a visceral experience that challenges the notions of truth. Australian Kurzel combines the family troubles of his 2011 drama Snowtown with the eer ..
Cineuropa
4.0
Post modern deconstructionist expressionistic anachronistic elliptical storytelling is my jam, and Justin Kurzels fourth feature is full of it. This i ..
Film Mafia
2.5
That unhinged, hallucinatory spirit is what Kurzel taps into visually... realism clashing with fantasy to the point where the landscape feels more Mor ..
Film Spotting
3.0
Meanwhile Russell Crowe gives a magnificent bawdy performance worthy of his former Gladiator co star, Oliver Reed.
The Sunday People
4.4
But this film, which holds as great a responsibility to the truth as a Shakespeare history, doesnt let the facts get in the way of the story.
Dr. Filmlove's Film Review ..
3.5
True History of the Kelly Gang may not be history as recorded by historians. But its history as recorded by a director with verve and vision.
Houston Chronicle
4.5
...it does mean youre better off reading Peter Careys novel, a rip roaring work of historical fiction that truly does its namesake proud.
Seattle Film Blog
4.5
If thats good, and youre the upwardly mobile type, you take a studio job.
Inside Hook
3.1
The moment is like so much of this maddening film: ingeniously rendered, and way over the top.
The Scarecrow
4.0
It works precisely because, much like its protagonist, it does not conform to whats supposedly nice or normal.
3.1
Here its George MacKay (1917) in a shag mullet; like its predecessors, the take on Kelly by Kurzel is an alluring, muddled meander punctuated with mad ..
4.5
The film doesnt focus on the adventures and criminal acts of the gang, but on the psychology of the characters and their unique approach to violence
Letra Urbana
See Where to Watch
True History of the Kelly Gang