Joaquin Phoenix typically only signs on to projects that he absolutely loves. His nit picking his scripts is one of the things that draws me to the theatre for all of the films he is in. So I was surprised to really not connect with this at all. It is not complex or confusing, but rather, artistic and abstract. There are so many shots that were held for 5-10 seconds longer than you would expect, which can work to great effect if done right, but not here. I think that if someone likes this movie, they are going to love it, but most won't.

YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE did interest me at first, until I found out that the director was none other than Lynne Ramsay, who made the overrated WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. This one's even worse, a loose reworking of TAXI DRIVER made on a tiny budget with very little in the way of originality or plot to make it work. Phoenix gives a believable performance in the lead role but is too understated to be entertaining; he's no De Niro. The film gets tedious very quickly and goes down the arthouse route of dragging every scene out a little bit too long so that it becomes boring, and needless flashbacks and the like slow it down further. Genuinely suspenseful revenge films such as BLUE RUIN or even the comedic I DON'T FEEL AT HOME IN THIS WORLD ANYMORE are much better.

'You Were Never Really Here' compelled me to watch it from the start. The fact that people were describing it as an unconventional thriller interested me, there are not many of those these days (speaking as a fan of thrillers), and then you have an extremely talented actor in Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. The positive word of mouth and cool advertising added further to the promise.

Seeing it, 'You Were Never Really Here' came over as very good and very impressive. Can totally understand why it is divisive here and it is not surprising that some were alienated by it and not used to a thriller being done differently. It's hardly the first or only divisive film from 2018 so far, 'A Quiet Place' and 'Hereditary' were very different horrors that were critically acclaimed but polarising with audiences, personally loved both, especially 'A Quiet Place'. For me, that it was unconventional was a large part of why 'You Were Never Really Here' worked as well as it did. It is not quite a masterpiece and it just falls short of being one of my very favourite films of the year (though it is still towards the top).

It is not perfect. 'You Were Never Really Here' does have moments where the story could have done with more clarity, the vagueness did cause a little confusion at times.

Would have liked much more development to the supporting characters, while the protagonist is splendidly drawn the rest are sketchy.

However, there is so much to like about 'You Were Never Really Here'. The production values are extremely stylish with some very creative shots and film techniques, the rescue is particularly gritty and purposefully grainy in a security camera way. The minimal dialogue was a good choice, it let the atmosphere fully sear and the uncompromising brutality and unsettlement ensures plenty of deliberately slow-burning tension which helps make the story absorbing.

Lynne Ramsay directs cleverly, with a keen eye for visual style, letting the atmosphere speak for itself and never letting the deliberate pacing to become dull or self-indulgent. That's personal opinion, just to make that clear to anybody who will vehemently disagree. 'You Were Never Really Here' is successful in avoiding clichés and having the action scenes brief, not frequent and mostly off-screen provided to be a bold and good move. Joaquin Phoenix is excellent in the lead role, the intensity dripping off him at every turn. The rest of the cast do well but not to the same level of Phoenix, but only because he is something else.

Altogether, very good but so many great things. With better fleshed out characters and more clarity in some of the plotting, it would have been even better. 8/10 Bethany Cox