You could see it all as a darkly bizarre tale that just might be true
Stuck (2007)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:85
Fresh:62
Rotten:23
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Steeped in gallows humor, Stuck is a taut, tense examination of a tragic accident.
Synopsis: Best known for his horror classics RE-ANIMATOR (1985), FROM BEYOND (1986), and DOLLS (1987), director Stuart Gordon turned to character-driven thrillers in the early 2000s with KING OF THE ANTS... Best known for his horror classics RE-ANIMATOR (1985), FROM BEYOND (1986), and DOLLS (1987), director Stuart Gordon turned to character-driven thrillers in the early 2000s with KING OF THE ANTS (2003) and EDMOND (2005). STUCK continues in that vein, exploring humankind's potential for cruelty toward one another. Inspired by real events, this is a bloody and disturbing revenge film with a pitch-black sense of humor and a handful of fine performances. Tom Bardo (Stephen Rea) is having a bad Friday. He's out of work and preparing for an interview at the employment agency when he is suddenly evicted from apartment. A computer glitch then causes him to spend the entire day waiting for his interview, then is turned away. With nowhere left to go, he finds himself sleeping on a park bench, only to be rousted by a cop. Enter Brandi (Mena Suvari), a corn-rowed nursing assistant heading home after a night of partying. Talking on the phone and driving under the influence, Brandi hits Tom, sending him crashing halfway through her windshield. Afraid of the consequences, she chooses to drive home, park the car in her garage, and not tell anyone. But Tom, despite this indignant end to a terrible day, still has some fight left in him. Based on true events that occurred in 2002 in Fort Worth, Texas, STUCK boldly plays on the grim absurdity of the situation. John Strysik's smart script pokes fun at the macho posturing of thug culture and the sad implications of a society where there are no exceptions to the "no snitching" policy. Suvari gives a wild, fun performance, and Rea's likable Tom is a prototypical underdog. Funny, painful, and crowd-pleasing, this is truly and proudly a B-movie, and a worthy addition to Gordon's impressive body of work. [More]
Starring: Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea, Russell Hornsby, Rukiya Bernard
Starring: Mena Suvari, Stephen Rea, Russell Hornsby, Rukiya Bernard, Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Wayne Robson, R.D. Reid, Patrick McKenna, Sharlene Royer
Director: Stuart Gordon
Director: Stuart Gordon
Screenwriter: John Strysik
Story: Stuart Gordon
Producer: Stuart Gordon, Christian Arnold-Beutel, Robert Katz, Jay Firestone, Ken Gord
Composer: Bobby Johnston
Studio: ThinkFilm
Reviews for Stuck
A compact, lurid tabloid item that blows the lid off mundane human insensitivity
Fans who like their films darkly humorous and filled with scathing social commentary (both subtle and obvious) should find Stuck to their liking.
It’s a shaggy-dog story that spirals into garage Grand Guignol, with Suvari and Rea well-matched in uneasy roles.
Gordon has directed drama, such as Mamet’s ‘Edmond’, but also visceral horror movies like ‘Re-Animator’. Elements of both are evident in this taut psychological thriller.
Stuck is disturbing in all the right ways, turning an incredible real-life story of human callousness and suffering into a tawdry entertainment that makes guffawing, sociopathic rubbernecks of us all.
Stuart Gordon’s low-budget thriller is so compellingly perverse that it transcends its humble premise.
With a little more ingenuity, a few more evilly funny lines and a more interestingly written role for its female lead, this could have been a minor cult classic.
While it’ll certainly make you wince, Gordon’s slapsticky execution and misguided injections of humour serve only to bleed the situation of suspense. What emerges is not so much horror as a grisly farce.
Uninspired by a true story, the first 20 minutes before the collision are entertaining but, after metal hits flesh, you can almost hear the premise creaking as it’s stretched to feature length, resulting in some of the dullest moments I can remember.
Bizarre film that remains watchable thanks to strong performances and a decent script, though the tone veers wildly from black comedy to violent thriller via thinly-disguised social commentary and the film never quite comes together as a result.
disturbing in all the right ways, turning an incredible real-life story of human callousness and suffering into a tawdry entertainment that makes guffawing, sociopathic rubbernecks of us all.
As the title of this splatter comedy by writer-director Stuart Gordon indicates, he's like a bug stuck to her windshield, and that's about the level of humanity and insight one can expect here.
Gordon hits the proverbial ball not only directly out of the park, but also through the windshield of a ... well, maybe I should just start from the beginning.
A simultaneously grisly and magnificent thriller about Tom Bardo (Stephen Rea), a homeless man who gets stuck in a car windshield after a hit-and-run accident.
Stuck gives a boost to the dramatic elements of the story, while preserving the stern lesson about a society crumbling under the weight of self-interest and moral decay.
It makes for a taut little horror story, in which the 'monster' is not identifiable by horns or fangs.
You might hope for fiction to bring insight to senseless cruelty, rather than augment the ignominy of the original crime.
Latest News for Stuck
May 29, 2008:
Critical Consensus: Sex and the City Will Please Fans
This week at the movies, we've got love and commerce (Sex and the City: The Movie, starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall) and romantic getaways gone wrong (The... More...
May 29, 2008:
Stuck Just the Latest Offbeat Choice for Suvari ![]()
With this Friday's Stuck, Mena Suvari adds another strange chapter to the decidedly un-Hollywood story she's written for herself since starring in American Beauty. More...
May 27, 2008:
Surprisingly taut and absorbing, even if you're already familiar with the famous case it is loosely based upon. ![]()
More...
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