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IMDbPro

Son of a Gun

  • 2014
  • R
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
6.4/10
31K
YOUR RATING
Ewan McGregor and Brenton Thwaites in Son of a Gun (2014)
Locked up for a minor crime, 19 year old JR quickly learns the harsh realities of prison life. Protection, if you can get it, is paramount. JR soon finds himself under the watchful eye of Australia's most notorious criminal, Brendan Lynch. But protection comes at a price. Lynch and his crew have plans for their young protegee. Upon release, JR must help secure Lynch's freedom, staging a daring prison break. As a reward, he's invited to join the crew as they plan a gold heist that promises to deliver millions. However, as things start to go wrong, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues. JR finds himself unsure of whom he can trust and on a collision course with his former mentor.
Play trailer2:16
11 Videos
34 Photos
GangsterHeistActionCrimeDramaThriller

JR busts out of prison with Brendan Lynch, Australia's most notorious criminal, and joins Lynch's gang for a gold heist that soon pits the two men against one another.JR busts out of prison with Brendan Lynch, Australia's most notorious criminal, and joins Lynch's gang for a gold heist that soon pits the two men against one another.JR busts out of prison with Brendan Lynch, Australia's most notorious criminal, and joins Lynch's gang for a gold heist that soon pits the two men against one another.

  • Director
    • Julius Avery
  • Writers
    • Julius Avery
    • John Collee
  • Stars
    • Ewan McGregor
    • Brenton Thwaites
    • Alicia Vikander
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.4/10
    31K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Julius Avery
    • Writers
      • Julius Avery
      • John Collee
    • Stars
      • Ewan McGregor
      • Brenton Thwaites
      • Alicia Vikander
    • 74User reviews
    • 105Critic reviews
    • 49Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations total

    Videos11

    Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:16
    Trailer #1
    J R Approaches Brendan In Prison
    Clip 1:10
    J R Approaches Brendan In Prison
    J R Approaches Brendan In Prison
    Clip 1:10
    J R Approaches Brendan In Prison
    Escaping The Mine
    Clip 0:51
    Escaping The Mine
    Brenden Shows J R The Son Of Sorrow Move
    Clip 1:00
    Brenden Shows J R The Son Of Sorrow Move
    Son Of A Gun: Brendan Warns JR
    Clip 0:59
    Son Of A Gun: Brendan Warns JR
    Son of a Gun: Brendan Warns Jr. (UK)
    Clip 1:01
    Son of a Gun: Brendan Warns Jr. (UK)

    Photos34

    View Poster
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    + 28
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    Top Cast83

    Edit
    Ewan McGregor
    Ewan McGregor
    • Brendan Lynch
    Brenton Thwaites
    Brenton Thwaites
    • JR
    Alicia Vikander
    Alicia Vikander
    • Tasha
    Brendan Kerkvliet
    • Prison Officer
    Matt Flannagan
    Matt Flannagan
    • Prison Officer
    Geoff Kelso
    • Prison Officer
    Peter Neaves
    • Prison Officer
    Matt Nable
    Matt Nable
    • Sterlo
    Eddie Baroo
    Eddie Baroo
    • Merv
    Kazimir Sas
    Kazimir Sas
    • JR's Cellmate
    Sam Hutchin
    • Dave
    Craig Sparrowhawk
    • Dave's Crony
    Jared De' Har
    • Dave's Crony
    • (as Jared Dehar)
    Karl Knight
    • Solitary Officer
    Jacek Koman
    Jacek Koman
    • Sam Lennox
    Tom Budge
    • Josh
    Marko Jovanovic
    • Ken
    Ivan Lightbody
    • Mitch
    • Director
      • Julius Avery
    • Writers
      • Julius Avery
      • John Collee
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews74

    6.430.7K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    7RM851222

    Nothing new or original, but not bad flick at all

    Greetings from Lithuania.

    "Son of a Gun" (2014) is kinda average crime thriller. It shows nothing original, nothing new or anything special, yet i watched the whole movie and wasn't disappointed or bored. The performances are OK, nothing special or worth mentioning. The plot is not bad - "Son of a Gun" starts like a prison drama, but then it goes beyond that, but not in a highly new territory.

    "Son of a Gun" is a nice movie for seeing it once, after, you will forget it kinda quickly. Worth mentioning nice soundtrack at the end of the movie, will going to definitely check it out who was the singer.

    Overall, "Son of a Gun" is not a bad crime / action / thriller for one viewing. It doesn't show nothing original in craftsmanship of the movie, nor the plot is very original, yet if you like the genre, you can check this one out for yourself - it will do it's job for one boring evening.
    7BeneCumb

    Not conceptual, but certainly not bad

    Films depicting prison environments and heists tend to consist of recurrent topics and scenes, and the quality depends on how the viewers perceive them - as clichés or as characteristics. Luckily, Son of a Gun does with the latter, and skillful direction, several twists and versatile ending make this an okay film, where one can not always guess how the things go or what happens next, and all this is carried out without ridiculous shifts.

    The cast is international, from a Scot till a Swede, plus locals, of course, and this provides the film with additional value (although the events take place in Australia only). Ewan McGregor as Brendan Lynch is certainly the best of them, outperforming the other main character - JR (performed by a local heartthrob Brenton Thwaites whose apparent intention was showing his torso as much as possible :)); the latter's relationship with Tasha (nicely performed by Alice Vikander) is a perfunctory link at times - although the pre-ending rounds it up again...

    But anyway, if you like intense heist films with witty solutions, Son of a Gun is definitely for you.
    7jpgonc

    Violent but good-hearted villains

    Movie packed with a little scent of action-drama of the 1970s. This Australian movie gets better as it is unfolded.

    Good acting, good photography and a brief dose of humanity and thriving. Even if the script is nothing out of the normal, the film itself shows us a fast-driven story of convicted criminals trying to live under a small "mafia" organization - Love, lust, betrayal, death and commiseration will be the ingredients to cook up this story.

    PS-> Don't watch the trailer because it sucks and deviates you from seeing a good movie. (I avoided myself from viewing trailers years ago for any movie) - They are simple a pure commercial beacon that use the best scenes as a vehicle of opportunism to forge you into seeing something that ultimately it does not translate into what you are expecting.
    Gordon-11

    Confusing and not engaging

    This film tell the story of a young man who is good at chess, getting accepted by a criminal gang inside the prison. They go out to do more jobs after breaking out of prison.

    "Son of a Gun" has a big actor in it, and that's why I watched it. I found the plot meandering all the time, and the goals of the actors are poorly explained. I had no idea what the characters want to achieve when they do something, and I only find out after the effect has happened. That's poor story telling and poor engagement. I just didn't care for any of the characters. I found it disappointing and confusing. Fortunately the ending scenes were quite good, saving the film from being a complete disaster.
    8mformoviesandmore

    Great pacing - enjoyable movie

    This is a 'heist' movie with a fairly standard story and the usual range of characters and events.

    One little difference is that it is set in Australia.

    But one large difference is the pacing of the movie. It never gets bogged down and it never goes OTT - so we don't see people flying through the air, in slow motion, shooting two guns at once.

    The acting is of a level where it well represents the sort of randomness found in such characters as well as offering up a hero for the audience to follow.

    If you want a fun action movie with enough of a story to follow and which moves along and keeps the interest up - this one is for you, my son.

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    Related interests

    Marlon Brando and Salvatore Corsitto in The Godfather (1972)
    Gangster
    Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer in Heat (1995)
    Heist
    Bruce Willis and Taniel in Die Hard (1988)
    Action
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Based on real life bank robber Brenden Abbott, AKA "The Post Card Bandit" & his apprentice Brendan Berichon.
    • Goofs
      When the drug dealer/ arms dealer hands JR weapons there is no possible way he can hold onto the M60 Machine Gun like that, with it weighing around 23 lbs.
    • Quotes

      Tasha: You were right, never trust a woman. Check mate.

    • Connections
      Featured in Film '72: Episode #44.3 (2015)
    • Soundtracks
      Enter One
      Performed by Sol Seppy

      Written by Sophie Michalitsianos

      License courtesy of Sophie Michalitsianos

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    FAQ18

    • How long is Son of a Gun?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 11, 2014 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Australia
      • United Kingdom
      • Canada
    • Languages
      • English
      • Serbo-Croatian
    • Also known as
      • Hijo del crimen
    • Filming locations
      • Collingwood, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
    • Production companies
      • Screen Australia
      • ScreenWest
      • Lotterywest
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $660,241
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 48m(108 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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