Bronson (2008) *****

I rarely give five stars to any film. While truthfully it's far from a perfect picture, I can't really think of anything I'd change about Nicolas Winding Refn's Bronson (2008). I just love it. I love how dedicated it is to its subject and it holds up incredibly well on repeat viewings (I've seen it four times now). I appreciate how it's not afraid to take its time (sometimes painfully so) in scenes where it feels necessary. The structure is quite similar to A Clockwork Orange (1971) and the film as a whole is very Kubrickian but Bronson definitely does its own thing (and there is a sense of fun here that is missing from most of Refn's other work). I think it's an exceptional piece of art with a compelling and unforgettable performance by Tom Hardy. And the soundtrack is killer (example 1, example 2, example 3, example 4).

Nicolas Winding Refn Feature Films Ranked