Shoplifters of the World (2021) User Reviews (34)

Yes, you can dress like Madonna and love The Smiths

[mmpamer · 5/10 · 30 April 2021]

This review is more about the style of the 80s in this movie, from the POV of a '88 grad GenX deeply into the alternative music scene.

Writing this partially in response to a review stating no one dressed like Madonna. Yes, we did dress like Madonna, granted not as closely emulated as in this film. That said, the film itself wasn't great, but the (underdeveloped) characters were fun. Except Cleo. Ugh! The stereotypes were exaggerated but it was nice to see a Robert Smith lookalike because, yes, there were always a few of those dudes roaming the halls in high school, as well.

As for replicating the 80s, it was hit or miss. Cleo's makeup was too contemporary (Instagram model soft, blended eyeshadow? Please.), while others, including the extras, were authentically wearing heavy black eyeliner and frizzed out hair.

Side note - as an Aquanet devotee, that was NOT an 80s style container. We really did carry those in our purses, but they had big white click on lids on a perfectly cylindrical can. That was a modern can of hairspray. Annoying!

I'll admit though, watching for inaccuracies was pretty fun, and along with the soundtrack, the best part of the movie.

I don't owe you anything...

[zcryngckp · 6/10 · 27 April 2021]

But i watched the movie anyway.i got what i expected. A thin plot built around "true intentions", lol. But the music was enough to get me thru it, just as the Smiths got me thru the 80's. As clunky and forgettable as the plot was, the music and the record store and references took me back to a sacred time in my life when music meant everything and saved my soul. For that, i thank the filmmakers.

I was bored before it even began.

[mikepitcher1 · 4/10 · 29 March 2021]

Cringiest dialogue ever in a film.

All of the forced lyrical quoting in normal conversation put my girlfriend in a coma.

The acting was mostly terrible, except for Joe Mangenelo's performance.

A+ for music but even the Smiths could not save this cringe fest

[kristaschep · 2/10 · 30 March 2021]

Felt I had to create an account to leave a review.

I wanted to like this or even tolerate it. I knew it was not going to be great cinema but as a huge Smiths fan of course I'd watch it.

It's horrible. Listen to their music instead.

The acting is awful especially from the main character Chloe. And the dialogue! Ugh! They try and cram every Smiths lyric possible into this movie. So cringy.

I wish I could unsee this. Definitely not "so bad its good" its beyond. Skip it.

A movie about hardcore fans of The Smiths aimed directly at hardcore fans of The Smiths.

[Curt-Rowlett · 7/10 · 27 March 2021]

A movie about hardcore fans of The Smiths aimed directly at hardcore fans of The Smiths.

People are either going to love or hate this film, I'm sure. I fall somewhere on the "loved it" side, but only just barely.

The first thing that you will notice is that there is an overuse of Smiths lyrics in almost every scene. Sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn't. Where it did work is when you don't sense it coming, and then it will make you smile. But where it did not work, I found myself cringing slightly, as the use of a lyric at that moment felt a bit too forced, even campy, and I got the feeling that maybe the actors themselves were cringing, too.

But lovers of The Smiths will appreciate all of the inside jokes and will probably enjoy this film much more than they will be willing to admit.

Try not to take this one too seriously, say, along the lines of a John Hughes film, which this movie seemingly aspires to be the antithesis of (you'll see what I mean during one particular scene).

I also really enjoyed all of the scenes between the heavy metal radio DJ and the obsessed Smiths fan hijacker and the eventual bonding that occurs

I'm giving this a much higher rating than it probably deserves, mainly because I'm a true Smiths fan and because we need more movies that explore the 80s and the music scenes of that era.

Nah

[keastgary · 2/10 · 26 April 2021]

Let me start by saying I'm a huge Smiths fan. This movie however is dreadful.

Lazy script just shoe horning as many Smiths lyrics as possible. No subtlety. Characters unlikeable.

It's like a school play written by a 15 year old who once listened to Nowhere Fast.

Poor in the extreme.

Film fan plus Smiths fan = unrealistic expectations

[michael-kerrigan-526-124974 · 7/10 · 14 August 2021]

As both a bit of a film buff and an obsessive Smiths fan of 35 years, I kinda knew this film would be bad - how could it live up to any expectations? And yes it was terrible but I kinda loved it too. It was awfully cliched - so many lines lifted from smiths songs which as a 17 year old I might have found clever. It was clearly written and directed with love but probably a University thesis - in the hands of a Dexter Fletcher (Sunshine on Leith anyone?) it would have been a masterpiece. As it was I forgave it for its insufferable moments and enjoyed the music. I have no doubt that its heart was in the right place and that will do for me. I guess it's like watching a bad smiths cover band. You know you're gonna clench your teeth but you'll still relive some of the magic of your youth.

Awful

[LLgoatJ · 3/10 · 4 April 2021]

It's almost like someone decided to make a film with The Smiths as a soundtrack but couldn't think of anything interesting further than that.

Set in the 80s in USA. Group of friends distraught over The Smiths splitting up. One takes a DJ at a radio station hostage and forces him to play only Smiths songs. The others drive around and party.

Apart from the music it's dire. Amateur writing. Amateur acting. 1980s references the actors don't understand and are obviously reading lines without attempting to put effort in. Dull. Over the top melodrama.

7 for the film 10 for the music

[andypike-22859 · 7/10 · 30 October 2021]

Your enjoyment of this film will probably depend on your awareness of the Smith's music. One of the best and most important bands to come out of England in the 1980s, but still (bizarrely) unknown by a lot of people. I personally enjoyed this film, but then I'm a big fan of the Smiths. I could pull the film apart and say it was a bit cheesy, a simplistic story, etc, but my enjoyment of the film and the music superseded all that. At the end of the day it's just nice to see this band get more recognition, especially in the 2020s.

Stone age

[calmirio · 5/10 · 2 April 2021]

Life before internet... before social media... WAS fun.

Perfect If you are a certain age.

[mrxfb · 8/10 · 8 April 2021]

Know what you are getting into, but it was charming.

Amazing soundtrack and some cringe-worthy dialogue, but the movie brought back the feeling of those nights. Do you remember those nights? When you went out with friends, drifted from place to place with a good song on the radio? It's not solving the problems of the world, but it's good to feel alive.

Not terrible movie, amazing music

[ronan-e-morgan · 6/10 · 26 March 2021]

I watched this with not much expectation, and so it proved. The characters and plot are pretty weak. The trailer is all you need to watch to understand the entire movie.

However, as a massive Smiths fan, it was thoroughly enjoyable. The music sounds so rich and the songs chosen have been chosen with a lot of care.

It reminded me a lot of Bohemian Rhapsody in its tone and filming. A great movie to have on in the background while you are doing something else. A perfect movie to watch on a airplane!

The world shouldn't listen.

[darkpassenger-22876 · 1/10 · 29 March 2021]

Wow , I have been waiting for this film for ages . Forced dialogue, Smith's lyric quotes and within the first 15 minutes, a picture of Mike Joyce with Johnny Mars name at the side !

Oh and just so you know, we didn't dress like Madonna lookalikes ! What's the balloon scene about? Not good. As Morrissey would say ... hang the( DJ) director ,

Underwhelming

[tmocenigo · 3/10 · 28 March 2021]

It probably didn't help that I went into this film with high expectations, which were dashed within the first 15 minutes. Although the mood of 1987 was reasonably well captured, the story itself was poorly told. There was no effort to provide any backstory on any of the characters as to why they were friends and why the Smiths inspired them so. Instead, we are just dumped into the main event pretty much from the start and left to figure out why these characters are even friends and why we should care much about them (the mediocre acting performances didn't help).

Smiths fans will love it!

[dogcoopie-90395 · 7/10 · 4 April 2021]

Arguably one of the best bands ever. This is a debate that could last into the wee small hours with kids that grew up in the 80's. Amazing times and amazing bands.

This movie should have been made in the same mould as the 'BreakfastClub' to have the authenticity of an 80's classic. However, it falls short! The movie tries really hard but should have tried much, much more. One major critisisim, it should have been set in 'Manchester' not 'Denver' The Smiths really were an 80's UK thing.

Smiths fans will love this movie and they'll be streaming all their albums for nostalgic weeks after :-)

It's about The Smiths so there's that

[rjfromtoronto · 4/10 · 19 August 2021]

I wonder what proportion of the viewers are Gen X's watching this because you liked the Smiths at one point or had a girlfriend/boyfriendwho did (my case) it was nice to hear all the old songs and the 80s rehashed here. The acting is a bit over the top, melodramatic, excessive and annoying, just like the 80s were if you lived them and knew any of the Halcion crowd at your school, the ones who wore Docs and all black and listened to Bahaus and Killing Joke and Echo and the Bunnymen lol this movie is for you. They did a decent job playing the mixed up existential wishy washy teens and young adults of the very weird 80s. Worth a watch for the Smiths stuff and a few funny scenes in this parody of 80s angst.

Doesn't connect with me

[Gordon-11 · 1 May 2021]

The film looks well made, but it is so distant and irrelevant to me. I don't know the music, and the characters' lifestyles are very different from mine. The film doesn't connect with me in any way.

Surprised to enjoy it

[missjeanette · 7/10 · 30 April 2023]

Per the low numbers for stars are on IMDb I wasn't expecting much going into the film. However at some point I channeled in and was reliving a time when music was my everything. The place my misfit self belonged. The place where a song plays and a whole room unites instantly as one. With smiles and worries aside.

I've def witnessed the fan club of Morrisey and they are a dedicated fan base, become one when the music plays. It was relatable. Well acted. If you like Morrisey/the Smiths I'd say give it a chance. If you like metal I'd say give it a chance too. If you like 80s clothes and hair, it's enjoyable too.

Oh dear!

[sarakencroft · 1/10 · 13 August 2022]

Terrible! Im a child of the eighties and a fan of The Smiths - but it's nearly unwatchable. Cliched characters and very stilted dialogue. It also didn't depict the eighties at all well. The only saving grace were the original footage of the band and of course the sound track!

Terrible

[Andy_blaikie · 2/10 · 3 September 2021]

If, like me, you're tempted in by the lure of hearing lots of music by The Smiths in a film, don't bother. Instead, spend the 90 minutes listening to two albums by The Smiths and enjoy the music, uninterrupted by cheesy lines and terrible acting.

Waiting for this film since the NINETIES

[christoffer-nelson · 9/10 · 26 March 2021]

Though, the kids in this film, the actors, can't really comprehend the world of the 80s, this film is both long in the development and a necessary trope. Anyone over 30 who loves The Smiths will both love this film, and feel their world torn between social justice and pure, bleak introversion. The 'bad' acting is reminiscent of Kids, and it seems half the actors were chosen for having 'era correct teeth'. As much as I hope this film has an impact on today's youth, doubly so I hope the players find a deeper love of a band and culture that were taken too far the moment they were popularized. Great soundtrack, obviously, with just a touch too much 2020s gender identity crap and a meme dropped every second or so. Strange to see stories written by my peers, for the Smiths kids of now to play. If you aren't a Smiths fan, it's like watching an MTV or ABC Premiere drama. The Fosters and Good Trouble meet people who wrote essays on The Breakfast Club. But for someone who was 11 the year this was set, and 14 when they found The Smiths, this is just what the COVID waiting room orderly ordered.

You will love it if you are a fan of The Smiths

[motapa · 5/10 · 18 October 2021]

The only reason why someone would like this movie is because they are fans of the music band. It's all about them and less about the juvenile thought or experiences around the songs.

I'm not happy and I'm not sad

[spraggbj · 5/10 · 1 April 2021]

Great that this idea became a film ... but it's not the film Smiths fans wanted. The music and the South Bank Show clips almost make it watchable but the glib storyline, weak acting and shameless shoe horning of lyrics all but ruin it. Watch it for the posters and t shirts but if you want to feel real nostalgia and pride in what the band achieved - dig out the South Bank Show episode again.

yes

[iraqishia · 5/10 · 28 December 2021]

, I kinda knew this film would be bad - how could it live up to any expectations? And yes it was terrible but I kinda loved it too. It was awfully cliched - so many lines lifted from smiths songs which as a 17 year old I might have found clever. It was clearly written and directed with love.

great music can't save a bad movie :/

[casperwind · 2/10 · 19 July 2023]

I love The Smiths very much, so you can imagine my excitement upon finding a movie that had The Smiths as an integral part of the story, but this was sadly a giant let-down.

I watched it with my friend and found most of my enjoyment in getting to explain all the references to her, but other than that, I absolutely could not get invested into these characters. Somehow, they all seem unlikable and neither of us cared one bit. The dialogue was mostly very cringy. If you don't get the references to lyrics, then it might not be such a glaring issue, but when you do, you notice how forced it was.

Overall it was fine. Good movie to turn your brain off to, not so much if you really want something.

The 2 stars I'm giving are for effort and because, well, I obviously liked the soundtrack (although both my friend and I were waiting for them to play "Ask", and they never did :L ).

Also also; Using the John Peele session of "This Charming Man" was a choice for sure.