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IMDbPro

Upstream Color

  • 20132013
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 36m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
34K
YOUR RATING
Shane Carruth and Amy Seimetz in Upstream Color (2013)
A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.
Play trailer2:10
4 Videos
68 Photos
DramaSci-Fi
A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives.
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
34K
YOUR RATING
    • Shane Carruth
    • Shane Carruth
  • Stars
    • Amy Seimetz
    • Frank Mosley
    • Shane Carruth
    • Shane Carruth
    • Shane Carruth
  • Stars
    • Amy Seimetz
    • Frank Mosley
    • Shane Carruth
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 179User reviews
    • 275Critic reviews
    • 81Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos4

    U.S. Version #3
    Trailer 2:10
    Watch U.S. Version #3
    Teaser #2
    Trailer 1:06
    Watch Teaser #2
    Teaser #1
    Trailer 0:52
    Watch Teaser #1
    What to Watch If You Love 'Inception'
    Clip 2:47
    Watch What to Watch If You Love 'Inception'

    Photos68

    Amy Seimetz in Upstream Color (2013)
    Shane Carruth in Upstream Color (2013)
    Upstream Color (2013)
    Shane Carruth in Upstream Color (2013)
    Upstream Color (2013)
    Upstream Color (2013)
    Shane Carruth in Upstream Color (2013)
    Amy Seimetz in Upstream Color (2013)
    Amy Seimetz in Upstream Color (2013)
    Andrew Sensenig in Upstream Color (2013)
    Shane Carruth and Amy Seimetz in Upstream Color (2013)
    Upstream Color (2013)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Amy Seimetz
    Amy Seimetz
    • Kris
    Frank Mosley
    Frank Mosley
    • Husband
    Shane Carruth
    Shane Carruth
    • Jeff
    Andrew Sensenig
    Andrew Sensenig
    • The Sampler
    Thiago Martins
    • Thief
    Kathy Carruth
    • Orchid Mother
    Meredith Burke
    • Orchid Daughter
    Andreon Watson
    • Peter
    Ashton Miramontes
    • Lucas
    Myles McGee
    • Monty
    Carolyn King
    Carolyn King
    • Wife
    Kerry McCormick
    Kerry McCormick
    • OBGYN
    Marco Antonio Rodriguez
    Marco Antonio Rodriguez
    • MRI Tech
    Brina Palencia
    Brina Palencia
    • Woman in Club
    Lynn Blackburn
    Lynn Blackburn
    • HR Manager
    John Walpole
    John Walpole
    • Bank Investigator
    • (as Trey Walpole)
    Dave Little
    • Veterinarian #1
    Julie Mayfield
    • Veterinarian #2
      • Shane Carruth
      • Shane Carruth
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film that Kris is editing at the beginning of the movie is A Topiary, the film that Shane Carruth had begun production on before deciding to film Upstream Color instead.
    • Goofs
      When the Sampler is incapacitating a pig with his instrument, the knot is thrown towards the pig's face and stretched. In the next frame, the wire knot is around the pig's body between its front & hind legs.
    • Quotes

      Thief: I have to apologize. I was born with a disfigurement where my head is made of the same material as the sun.

    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies You've Probably Never Seen (2016)

    User reviews179

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    "Each drink is better than the last, leaving you with the desire to have one more. Take a drink now."
    I knew this film was going to be weird. Shane Carruth's debut film - Primer - was an oddity as it was, lacking in straightforward answers or explanations, but presenting a very intriguing and sturdy piece of hard science fiction. Be warned that Upstream Color is also something that lacks a straightforward explanation. In fact, Primer was something rather cold, with its strong basis in the scientific method; UC is far warmer and artistic, but is also more abstract.

    The film may come off as slow and dull to certain viewers, especially if you're expecting a strong narrative structure or plot. I'm usually adverse to movies that have no real plot or conflict, but with this film, it's the experience that matters. Watching this film is a strangely mesmerizing, lucid, and smooth experience, given the exquisite imagery, nuanced performances, and quality music score. The film's first fifteen minutes are probably the most straightforward, most interesting, and most disturbing aspect of the whole thing, and it serves as an important fulcrum point. This much I understand: the film starts off with the freaky notion that there's a man injecting grubs into people, which makes them susceptible to mind control. From then on, the film tracks two such victims who inevitably come together and discover the secrets of their latent trauma.

    What makes the film so weird, so cerebral, and potentially frustrating, is that things happen, and characters will say things that won't make total sense. And most scenes are intercut with such footage as a farmer tending to pigs, and flowers growing in the wilderness. The movie draws stark parallels between such images, to unearth some rich thematic territory. Could such scenes reflect on life and death? Is it all about nature? Is it about love? Is it the human condition overall? The film never really tell you outright, and it gets very surreal when scenes overlap. If you struggle to find logic behind this story, you might write it off as messy. If you take in the experience and open your mind to interpreting the film, it'll keep your brain going and haunt you indefinitely. It's an experience comparable to such films as Mulholland Drive.

    This film is very stylish, with some beautiful photography and ingenious editing. All actors put on decent performances, and they show a good blend of nuance and emotion. Writing is pretty weird, given the amount of strange and unusual dialogue. This production uses excellent sets, props, and costumes. The music score is very exquisite.

    While Primer was a film that appeals on an intellectual level, Upstream Color appeals best to the artistic side of the brain. If you're susceptible to strange, abstract films that require lots of brainpower to interpret and understand, then this one is a perfect puzzlebox for you. Casual audiences might want to approach this with caution.

    5/5 (Experience: Very Good | Content: Very Good | Film: Perfect)
    helpful•142
    61
    • Al_The_Strange
    • May 25, 2013

    Details

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    • Release date
      • August 30, 2013 (United Kingdom)
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Dallas, Texas, USA
    • Production company
      • erbp
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 36 minutes
      • Color
      • Stereo

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