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Held Up

Held Up

Comedy · 1999

What should have been a romantic getaway turns into one hilarious debacle after another when Michael's woman dumps him in the desert where he gets carjacked by a teenager and he is taken hostage in a stickup at the local Sip and Zip.

Movie details

Held Up

1999 Comedy 1h 29m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.9 / 10

Community rating

What should have been a romantic getaway turns into one hilarious debacle after another when Michael's woman dumps him in the desert where he gets carjacked by a teenager and he is taken hostage in a stickup at the local Sip and Zip.

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 Held Up?

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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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Steve Rash

Written by

Erik Fleming · Jeff Eastin

Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx

Michael

Nia Long

Nia Long

Rae

Barry Corbin

Barry Corbin

Pembry

John Cullum

John Cullum

Jack

Jake Busey

Jake Busey

Beaumont

Roselyn Sánchez

Roselyn Sánchez

Trina

Eduardo Yáñez

Eduardo Yáñez

Rodrigo

Court is in session

Put Held Up on trial.

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

The defence The Popcorn Loyalist

“It owes the canon nothing.”

The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.

The prosecution The Big-Idea Head

“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”

It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.