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Upstream Color

Upstream Color

Drama · Science Fiction · 2013

A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the lifecycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.

Movie details

Upstream Color

“You can force your story's shape, but the color will always bloom upstream.”

2013 Drama · Science Fiction 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.3 / 10

Community rating

A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the lifecycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Upstream Color?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Shane Carruth

Written by

Shane Carruth

Amy Seimetz

Amy Seimetz

Kris

Shane Carruth

Shane Carruth

Jeff

Andrew Sensenig

Andrew Sensenig

The Sampler

Thiago Martins

Thiago Martins

Thief

C

Carolyn King

Wife

Mollie Milligan

Mollie Milligan

Maggie

M

Myles McGee

Monty

Court is in session

Put Upstream Color on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.