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The War Zone

The War Zone

Drama · 1999

An alienated teenager, saddened that he has moved away from London, must find a way to deal with a dark family secret.

Movie details

The War Zone

“When the worst of men hides in a family with no history.”

1999 Drama 1h 38m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

An alienated teenager, saddened that he has moved away from London, must find a way to deal with a dark family secret.

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 The War Zone?

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.

The Cement Garden

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Pimp

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An urban love story set on the hard streets of the Bronx. A struggling female pimp, named Wednesday, grows up learning the game from her dad. Once he's gone she's left to look out for her prostitute mother and girlfriend Nikki.

Around the Bend

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Drama · 2004

A tale of four generations of men, all of whom have had their offspring at a young age: a great-grandfather, a grandfather, a father in his twenties and a son who is about 7 years old. When the oldest member passes away, the trio heads out on the road together in the Southwest to search out an old family secret that connects to their past.

Little Odessa

Little Odessa

Drama · 1994

Long separated from his family, hitman Joshua returns to Brighton Beach for a contract killing for the Russian Mafia. His abusive father, Arkady, banned him from returning after Joshua committed his first murder. He takes up residence in a hotel, and soon everyone knows he has returned. He goes home to visit his dying mother, Irina, and prepares for the assassination, getting drawn back into the criminal community he left behind.

Sweet Sixteen

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In darkest rural Ireland, ex-boxer Douglas 'Arm' Armstrong has become the feared enforcer for the drug-dealing Devers family, whilst also trying to be a good father to his autistic five-year-old son, Jack. Torn between these two families, Arm's loyalties are truly tested when he is asked to kill for the first time.

Suburbia

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Drama · 1984

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Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Tim Roth

Written by

Alexander Stuart

Freddie Cunliffe

Freddie Cunliffe

Tom

Lara Belmont

Lara Belmont

Jessie

Ray Winstone

Ray Winstone

Dad

Tilda Swinton

Tilda Swinton

Mum

Kate Ashfield

Kate Ashfield

Lucy

Aisling O'Sullivan

Aisling O'Sullivan

Carol

M

Megan Thorp

Baby Alice

Court is in session

Put The War Zone on trial.

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

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.