Critics’ reviews

Trash (2014)

17 reviews from 17 publications. Critics’ score 59: 5 positive, 9 mixed, 3 negative.

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59
Positive
5
Mixed
9
Negative
3

The consensus on Trash is mixed, with praise clustering around the three young leads and the energy they bring to the crime story. Most critics who discuss the performances value the actors’ naturalness and camaraderie, while several find the journey through Rio vivid, brisk and engaging. The more approving reviews accept the sentimentality and unlikely plotting as part of an accessible adventure; Empire goes further, finding an unexpectedly gritty thriller whose leads and setting give it considerable force.

Reservations centre on strained coincidences, simplified politics and a sweetness that can weaken the sense of danger. The spread is wide: even some sympathetic reviews question the film’s depth, while the harshest see its treatment of poverty as shallow or exploitative. Slant Magazine offers the strongest rejection, arguing that the stylised violence and lurid imagery turn suffering into spectacle rather than engaging meaningfully with it.

Empire
19 August 2014 · Simon Braund
80*

Braund calls it an unexpectedly gritty, energetic crime thriller and another winner from Daldry. He praises the three leads’ dynamite performances and the film’s vivid portrayal of Rio.

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Time Out
26 January 2015 · ★★★★ · Cath Clarke
80

The four-star rating indicates an approving verdict. The available page text does not reveal what Clarke singles out for praise or complaint.

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Los Angeles Times
9 October 2015 · Michael Rechtshaffen
75*

Rechtshaffen finds the film an intense, propulsive political thriller, though its theatrical moments sometimes weaken the gritty tone. He particularly praises the trio of young actors’ authentic performances.

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Evening Standard
30 January 2015 · Charlotte O'Sullivan
70*

O’Sullivan finds the film jaunty and engaging despite its sentimental, implausible moments. She praises the non-professional young actors and their characters’ self-empowerment.

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The Guardian
20 October 2014 · festival review · Jordan Riefe
68*

Riefe finds the film compelling and enjoyable, though its plotting and optimistic ending weaken its themes. He singles out the three young Brazilian actors’ performances as essential to its success.

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Variety
8 October 2014 · festival review · Jay Weissberg
65*

Weissberg finds the film audience-friendly but overly neat and unrealistic, with an improbably happy ending. He especially praises the infectious energy and camaraderie of its three young nonprofessional leads.

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Screen Daily
18 October 2014 · Mark Adams
64*

The page identifies this as Mark Adams’s review, but its verdict is unavailable behind the paywall. No praise or complaint can be verified from the accessible text.

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Radio Times
★★★ · Alan Jones
60

Jones finds the film fast-paced, exciting and gritty, though some plot coincidences strain credibility. He praises its welcome humour and palpable rawness.

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The New York Times
60*

The headline frames the film as resembling Slumdog Millionaire but with added sugar. The review’s full verdict and specific praise or complaints cannot be verified from the inaccessible page.

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The AV Club
8 October 2015 · C · Noel Murray
57

Murray finds that the film’s earnest heaviness overwhelms its entertaining crime story. He praises the faster-paced second half and its climactic image, but faults the film’s excess of style and self-importance.

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The Hollywood Reporter
18 October 2014 · festival review · Jordan Mintzer
55*

Mintzer finds the film energetic and occasionally suspenseful, but weighed down by sentimentality and an overly Hollywood approach. He especially praises the performances of the three young actors and the vivid cinematography of Rio.

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IndieWire
8 October 2015 · D+ · Nikola Grozdanovic
43

The critic pans the film as simplistic, hollow, and ultimately disposable. They praise Adriano Goldman’s vivid cinematography, while finding it insufficient to overcome the weak story and characters.

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Vulture
11 October 2015 · Bilge Ebiri
20*

Ebiri finds the film a misguided, shallow chase story that never gives its characters or setting enough depth. He faults its relentless succession of MacGuffins for reducing the story to a scavenger hunt.

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Slant Magazine
4 October 2015 · ½/4 · Clayton Dillard
12

Dillard condemns the film as a hollow, exploitative imitation that fails to engage meaningfully with poverty and political conflict. He especially criticizes its lurid visuals and stylized violence, which turn suffering into spectacle.

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HeyUGuys
30 January 2015 · Amon Warmann
70*

The critic calls it a likeable, enjoyable romp, though overly sentimental and longer than necessary. They praise the spirited performances and camaraderie of the three young leads.

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Digital Spy
29 January 2015 · Simon Reynolds
68*

Reynolds finds the film an energetic, enjoyable adventure, though it lacks depth and emotional impact. He praises the young leads’ performances and the vivid, fast-paced journey through Rio.

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The Playlist
8 October 2015
64*

The URL identifies this as The Playlist’s review of Stephen Daldry’s Trash (2014), but the page content is blocked. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint cannot be determined from the available text.

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Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate