--- title: "Trash: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/trash/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/trash" critics_score: 59 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Trash (2014): what the critics said Critics' score 59 from 17 reviews: 5 positive, 9 mixed, 3 negative. 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 — Simon Braund Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 19 August 2014. 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. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/trash-review/) ## Time Out — Cath Clarke Rating 4/5. 26 January 2015. The four-star rating indicates an approving verdict. The available page text does not reveal what Clarke singles out for praise or complaint. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/trash-1) ## Los Angeles Times — Michael Rechtshaffen Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 9 October 2015. 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. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-trash-movie-review-20151009-story.html) ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2015. 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. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/trash-film-review-a-jaunty-gorgeouslyacted-thriller-10013513.html) ## The Guardian — Jordan Riefe Fi1m's normalised score 68/100 (inferred from the text). 20 October 2014. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/oct/20/trash-first-look-review-stephen-daldry-rome-film-festival) ## Variety — Jay Weissberg Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 8 October 2014. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2014/film/festivals/film-review-trash-1201323827/) ## Screen Daily — Mark Adams Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2014. 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. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/trash/5078776.article) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 3/5. Jones finds the film fast-paced, exciting and gritty, though some plot coincidences strain credibility. He praises its welcome humour and palpable rawness. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-htjsit/trash/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 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. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/movies/review-stephen-daldrys-trash-is-in-the-slumdog-millionaire-vein-with-sugar.html) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating C. 8 October 2015. 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. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/trash-s-heaviness-smothers-a-slick-brazilian-crime-stor-1798185152) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Jordan Mintzer Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2014. Festival review. 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. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/trash-rome-review-741883/) ## IndieWire — Nikola Grozdanovic Rating D+. 8 October 2015. 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. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/review-stephen-daldrys-trash-starring-rooney-mara-martin-sheen-and-wagner-moura-113404/) ## Vulture — Bilge Ebiri Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 11 October 2015. 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. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2015/10/trash-is-a-recyclable-scavenger-hunt.html) ## Slant Magazine — Clayton Dillard Rating 0.5/4. 4 October 2015. 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. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/trash-2014/) ## HeyUGuys — Amon Warmann Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 30 January 2015. 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. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/trash-review/) ## Digital Spy — Simon Reynolds Fi1m's normalised score 68/100 (inferred from the text). 29 January 2015. 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. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a622480/trash-review-slumdog-millionaire-meets-city-of-god/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 8 October 2015. 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. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/review-stephen-daldrys-trash-starring-rooney-mara-martin-sheen-and-wagner-moura-20151008/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/trash.md