The Corrupted (2019) User Reviews

Worth a watch if you're into the genre.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 6/10 · 13 May 2019]

'The Corrupted (2019)' was slipped into cinemas on the sly, released without so much as an advert, let alone any real fanfare. It's difficult to see why, really, considering that it isn't exactly the sort of thing that jumps out and grabs you - not from its title, its premise nor its poster. What I mean is that it's not like there was any real chance of it being a smash-hit if no-one even knew it was coming out. The other answer, of course, is that the studio was embarrassed of it and wanted to get it out as quietly as possible. That doesn't quite ring true, however, as there's nothing embarrassing - at all, really - about the flick. Sure, it seems like the sort of thing you'd walk in on your dad watching on Channel 4 but it's by no means a bad film. It's shot nicely, has a great cast and, when it gets going, is rather entertaining. The story, essentially, centres around a recently released convict as he attempts to reintegrate with society and reunite with the family he left behind. In practice, though, it actually spends an equal amount of time on its varying bit-players and their attempts to expose, or perpetuate, the corruption surrounding property development escalated by 2012's Olympic games. It probably has one too many focal characters and, especially in the first act, it doesn't seem to know who to settle on, often bouncing from person to person in frenetic and frustrating fashion. This issue even ricochets into individual scenes, as some early ensembles are jarringly cut seemingly so the characters get equal screen-time regardless of if they (eventually) have equal narrative value. There are also some odd focus pulls that aren't quite pulled off properly and breaks in the '180 rule' which make certain sequences seem a little amateur - as does the far too frequent audio clipping that sees the end of sentences end abruptly after an optical cut. It's a good thing, then, that the cinematography is usually spot-on, from the nicely-framed composition to the contrast-heavy lighting, and actually elevates the overall visual 'feel' of the flick. The same can be said for the acting, which is good across the board and is well above 'soap opera'-level, even when the central players get into overly-serious shouting matches. Tim Spall, especially, entertainingly chews the scenery every time he's on-screen, in contrast to Hugh Bonneville's usually more subtle - yet still menacing - demeanour. As I mentioned, it gets quite enjoyable when everything settles into place. The action is quite shaky and isn't really all that satisfying but the piece isn't focused on it so much as its consequences, which are suitably brutal and fit right in with its generally grim tone. Everyone's betraying everyone else and no-one can be trusted; it's not surprising, necessarily, but it is bleak and I think that's what the film-makers were going for. Generally, once the set-up is out of the way and the pace kicks in, it just keeps getting better. This happens later than you might expect, though. The ending is a little rushed and, perhaps, misses a step or two in terms of its internal logic but the actual climax is rather compelling, even if the whole thing is ever-so-slightly downbeat. The movie is never fantastic - in fact, it's usually just alright. However, it's fun enough, for what it is, when it finally gets going that I reckon it's worth a watch, especially if you're into the genre. 6/10

Ok Brit flick, but could've easily been much better...

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 6/10 · 26 February 2020]

...if it wasn't for the convoluted plot-hole ridden screenplay, especially in the beginning. Even the score was overbearing and annoying in the beginning, but I guess 1 of the 21 executive producers stepped up with changes and the story became clearer and the score less annoying. Had the screenplay been edited better, and the slow-paced 103 min run-time cut down to about 85-90 mins, it would've been more enjoyable. The directing and cinematography was decent, but the cast is what held this film together. If this is based on a true story, then I'm guessing such corruption is still present in London. Maybe that'll be a sequel. It's a generous 6/10 from me, mainly for the acting and last 3rd of the film that picked up the pace and intensity.

Basics are there but its far from a classic

[gluonpaul · 5/10 · 10 May 2019]

This isnt a bad movie, it just doesnt manage to hit the mark.

The good, the plot for the story is pretty good, the three main actors, the cop, the ex con and the main villain are all pretty good and towards the end the story picks up.

The cons, very slow start, some of the other actors arent all that great, even though it has a good premise it doesnt really do that much with it.

Its a watchable movie but it is definately something I would recommend waiting until its on hulu or netflix. Its not worth the price of a cinema ticket in my opinion.

Nothing new here but entertaing enough.

[valleyjohn · 7/10 · 6 March 2020]

When I saw the trailer for The Corrupted I thought this is right up my street . It's a gangster movie ( my favourite genre) it's set in a part of London I know very well and it has some superb British actors in it such a Tim Spall , Noel Clarke and Hugh Bonneville but did it live up to my expectations?

This is the story of Liam, who wants nothing more than to live a peaceful life and to re-connect with his young son after coming out of prison .He learns his brother is caught up in a dark and dangerous web of corruption with property developer Clifford Cullen (Timothy Spall). In a drive for redemption, Liam risks everything to save his brother and win back the trust of his family.

The first thing to say about this film is that it's relentlessly dark . There is nothing happy or cheerful going on here and there is definitely no humour but that's not necessarily a bad thing in my book.

Tim Spall is fantastic as the gangland boss and Sam Claflin does a great job as our anti hero but I wasn't convinced that Noel Clarke was a copper for one minute .

I have to admit an hour into this I felt like it was going through the motions . Sure , there was lots of action but nothing we hadn't seen many times before . Luckily in the second half of the film it got a lot more interesting and grimmer !

This film seemed to slip under the radar when it was released last year, maybe because of how dark it is but as London gangster movies go it's not too bad at all.

Not throwing any punches

[bogeyman786 · 6/10 · 26 July 2019]

It started off ok but just withered off. One to watch on the telly when it's chucking it down

They all made bad choices

[nogodnomasters · 5/10 · 21 September 2019]

This is a film about crime and corruption post-2012 Olympic land grab on the London East Side. Liam (Sam Claflin) is out of jail and wants nothing more to live an honest life and get back with his wife and child. He is a good amateur boxer and longtime family friend Clifford Cullen (Timothy Spall) arranges the bouts. In the opening scene, Cullen murders Liam's father for his land, an event the corrupt police ruled as a suicide.

The film is about revenge against a corrupt and unjust system and people. This is not a bad crime/thriller/drama. It just didn't grab me.

Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

Okay but not great

[greenj-76461 · 6/10 · 14 May 2019]

Noel Clark was good in this, so was Sam Claflin. Tim Spall did a decent job too. This movie is quite entertaining in the end but has a fair few flaws.

It is very slow at the start, and spends ages focusing on side characters. The wife (girlfriend?) in particular gets about 25 mins of screen time at the start but all you get from it is that the ex con has a family he cares about. That could have been done in five mins. On the flip side a key scene in a car where you see important corruption and power play moves gets 30 seconds of screen time. Just a lack of focus there.

On top of that the characters are inconsistent, for instance the villain is basically playing the existing system and using it to his advantage. Then there is a scene where he talks about being in favor of brexit. Why? He is clearly benefiting from the system in place why would he want to undermine that? Makes no sense.

If the script had been tightened up and the characters made a bit more consistent it could have been good but as it is its just kind of okay.

Lower your expectations

[aguynameddrew · 4/10 · 4 June 2020]

It's not awful awful but there's not a lot of good in this low budget british cliche.

Having said that i do want to give credit to the main bad guy (Cliff Cullen) played by Timothy Spall. He's not quite up to the level of a Guy Ritchie bad guy character but he's definitely provided a solid performance.

Fun but predictable

[muamba_eats_toast · 7/10 · 14 May 2019]

They basically held up flashing signs in bold saying these are the bad guys throughout so it was quite predictable but at the same time it was still entertaining and enjoyable even if most of the big twists you could see from a mile off. If you like other British gangster films you'll almost certainly enjoy this.

A bit promising at the beginning, but fell short all the way! The action also quite messy, and not satisfy! Should have done better!

[kwenchow · 1/10 · 3 March 2020]

This film start with a father of two brothers(Liam and Sean), kill by a crime boss "Clifford", and ten years later, Liam and Sean have grown up scene! As turnout, this film is about Clifford deceive Liam and Sean, their father is commit suicide! Liam eventually know the truth, and decide to revenge for his father! Entire film full of boring conversation! Barely intense scene is, Liam and Detective Neil fighting with a bunch of corrupted cops, who break in Liam's house! This scene have many things broken, and bloody shooting scene! At the end, after knowing his father actually did not commit suicide, Liam kill Clifford with several gunshot! Liam visit his father's grave with his daughter! That's it! Another disappointed film!

What is it with these reviews?

[robdrummond · 8/10 · 22 February 2020]

Its a damn good entertaining film. Way better than a lot of brain dead US rubbish. I enjoyed it from start to finish

Good movie

[yankeedoo · 7/10 · 11 September 2019]

But as usual a UK movie only in a few cinemas and then disappeared unlike most of the tross left at the cinema

Expectations lowered

[patricksjc118 · 1/10 · 5 June 2020]

Gangsters in the UK is rubbish. Why can't they learn from the Italians and the Scottish in America...... gosh, Brits .... OMG.

A good small budget British gangster movie

[coombsstephen · 7/10 · 16 May 2019]

An 18 gangster film with Timothy Spall and Hugh Bonneville had to be worth a watch and it turned out better than I expected.

The story had plenty of twists and turns, and you never really knew where it was going. The action scenes were good and the acting very good. The film was obviously low budget but that isn't always a bad thing as in this case.

The plot did have some holes and lacked a bit of believabllity at times but overall it was well worth a watch.

While far from essential viewing, it's a decent crime flick that's underseen.

[domtaylor · 6/10 · 1 August 2019]

'The Corrupted' sort of came out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly. I'd never even heard of it until it arrived on the cinema listings and it seems as though I'm only one of few who has seen, or is even aware of, it. I'd like to be able to say that this is an absolute hidden gem and it's a shame that so many people missed it but, unfortunately, I can't. It's by no means bad, but it's just nothing new or outstanding. The performances are generally great, especially Timothy Spall's, and it's engaging enough throughout, but the story is quite generic and it's instantly forgettable. While it's on though, it offers enough of the generic pleasures associated with the crime genre to please crime fans and there's some decent turns in the narrative that keep you invested, even though they aren't all that surprising. However, there are several rookie mistakes in the filmmaking here - from badly executed focus pulls to breaking the 180 degree rule - that make the whole thing feel a bit amateur. Sure, it will have obviously had a low budget, but that's no excuse for problems like this. Apart from that though, it's well made, with good shot composition and cinematography. It's bizarre, then, that the production company made no real attempt to try and get people to see it. It had a theatrical release, after all, so it must have had some money behind it. It's far from great, but it should have had the chance to find its audience. Either way, it's worth checking out. 6/10

Tight but confusing

[Gordon-11 · 5 April 2020]

The plot is tight but a little confusing. There are so many characters and so many events happening, that it is hard to follow everything that is going on.

Easy to watch UK gangster film with a difference.

[bestfootie · 5/10 · 14 May 2019]

I enjoyed the film. Good graphics and sound. I liked the cast and thought the acting was strong, particularly the old gangsta fella who is supposed to be the corrupted one. Would have been nice to see him have more of a heart than being entirely corruption.

I understood from the sombre (and rather unhappy) ending to the film that what the writers were trying to convey was that corruption is a cance*. Once a person is corrupted to such a point, they leave a trail of destruction in their wake.

Also you can kill off some parts of the cance* though it can just regrow in other areas, that's what seemed to happen at the end. Shame the brown cop got capped.

Overall quite predictable though well worth a watch and in an empty cinema like I enjoyed, why not!!?

Hmm

[Headturner1 · 6/10 · 20 September 2019]

Not sure how to describe this. There where parts that seemed good and like it was shot with a decent budget then all of a sudden I'd think I was watching a different movie and the fight scenes were filmed bad. Other than that I liked the movie, I thought Cullen and Liam were good and the story was decent and kept me engaged. Parts of it reminded me a bit of a Guy Ritchie film and that is about all folks.

Not great, not bad!

[RodrigAndrisan · 5/10 · 14 February 2021]

I wanted to see the movie only because I also participated, I can be seen - if you have sharp eyes - only for 2 seconds, after the 32nd minute, I'm The Bell Man, near the ring, at the boxing match, with glasses, white shirt and black bow tie. I didn't expect the movie to be so good. It is not a masterpiece, it has many clichés and deja-vu, like many British films of recent years, but it also has some very intense and dramatic scenes. Timothy Spall manages to make a character so unbearable that you want to kill him. David Hayman, who plays the cop corrupted to the bone, is also convincing. Sam Claflin is OK. Decca Heggie is a very special appearance, he kind of steals the film, not only because of his massive stature but he's really good as a very bad guy. The other actors are not as good as the ones named. Too many scenes showing us London by night, or by day, especially filmed in Canary Wharf and Stratford area, far too many. I know that the Canary Wharf is very attractive due to those skyscrapers, but a scene, maximum two, would have been enough.

Entertaining but not flawless

[deloudelouvain · 6/10 · 30 November 2019]

For once I have to agree with most of the reviews on here, The Corrupted isn't a bad movie but it isn't a movie I would watch again. Based on true events, that's how it starts, and for that alone I already have my doubts as I'm pretty sure most of the things didn't happen for real. But that aside it's a movie with plenty of action, enough to never get bored. The acting was also good, even though I wouldn't have taken Timothy Spall as the crime boss. He's a good actor but let's be honest he wouldn't scare my grandmother if he tried. The story is entertaining but far from flawless, I wouldn't know anybody that would leave a bag with millions of cash. It's one of those small details that makes The Corrupted not a great movie.

They were in a rush

[mariani-84097 · 4/10 · 14 December 2021]

Looks like they were in a rush to finish .the beginning starts interestingly well,yet more the movie goes on less credible it becomes .. and even difficult to finish honestly.. not really worth the watch although slick scenes and filming.

Powerful hitter

[rsteppa-55082 · 9/10 · 11 May 2019]

Best British gangster film in last decade. Can see the inspiration drawn from The Long Good Friday. Cullen (Spall) is definitely Harold Shand (Hoskins). Stylish like the departed. Gruesome and hard hitting. Loved it, well done the whole team.

Nothing special, but enjoyable

[gabogrance · 7/10 · 16 February 2020]

Corruption is one of the most common crimes in the world and those who suffer the consequences usually feel helpless. In The Corrupted, Ron Scalpello brings us a story based on real events about a man who tries to return to a normal life after serving a sentence in prison, but encounters a tense and sham environment.

If you are looking for a movie to hang out, this one is highly recommended. The story is not very difficult to follow, there is a good dose of action and drama well distributed and something peculiar that is appreciated in this style of films: good performances.

Timothy Spall, as he has accustomed us, dazzles us with his work. He plays Clifford Cullen, the villain behind corruption. The way he transmits evil, cold blood, experience in the bad life, is brilliant.

Another one that is not far behind is Joe Claflin. His character, Sean McDonagh, lives mostly desperate and Joe displays it very well. We can feel his suffering for the anguish and that is a great point. Sam Claflin and Noel Clarke, in brackets, don't dazzle, but they're not bad either.

Now, as to how the story is told, it is where the work of director Ron Scalpello comes to fascinate. There are three points of view with different characters that come together in the middle of the movie and from there together flow with many comings and goings. But it doesn't get confusing, I repeat, it's an easy idea to follow. The raw violence (not see with children) and plot twists abound.

If we must find aspects that are not right, one of them would be the edition. Abrupt cuts do not do well in most cases and this is one of them. Another aspect is the script, a bit empty, nothing amazing and with some gaps.

Overall, it is a nice movie. You'll enjoy, but don't look for something new. The correct way to appreciate this film is, undoubtedly, in a relaxed way.

Too upsetting, violent

[reasonabledreams · 1/10 · 4 February 2023]

I've gotten use to a level of violence and cruelty depicted in modern film. Timothy is evil incarnate. It starts off with a very disturbing scene, followed shortly by another. The importance of the event to the story line was initally lost to me. Timothy plays it, good acting, believable. Maybe it's the way he enjoys it. It is his character and key to the story. Down playing his evil and corruption wouldn't be authentic.

The redemption, trying to rebuild his family & his life, the boxer released from prison. Not new but I think we'll done. I didnt watch long enough.

I decided to stop watching after the 2nd killing early on.

Good actors

[ladcrooks-26-192893 · 6/10 · 20 October 2019]

The cast is good most of the leading characters have proven their existence in the TV, film world. Gritty in some places and not the overdone violence you see most films. - No Kung Fu here!

I gave it a 6 as it was not the best nor the worst, and I had enjoyed most of the film. There was no real happy ending, many died who i thought would live, so there was a couple of surprises.

Hope who ever put this film together makes another, I am sure I would watch that as well.

WORTH A WATCH