Spun (2002)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jim H

  
  Various meth addicts do various cruel shit. This film is full of stylistic gimmicks: every time a character takes a hit of meth, there is a frenetic special effect, and it is edited so that there rarely is a shot that lasts over three seconds. I'm sure that this might be what… More
  Various meth addicts do various cruel shit. This film is full of stylistic gimmicks: every time a character takes a hit of meth, there is a frenetic special effect, and it is edited so that there rarely is a shot that lasts over three seconds. I'm sure that this might be what it's like to be on meth, but ultimately these gimmicks don't make a film. When I wrote my first sentence, a story synopsis, I didn't know what to write because there isn't a fluid narrative. Additionally, there is not a signal likable character in the film; Jason Schwartzman's character could pass for a hero, but early in the film he handcuffs his naked girlfriend to a bed and blinds and gags her with duct tape - not exactly Atticus Finch. You might say that as a drug film, there shouldn't be any likable characters, but they should at least be interesting or trying to be likable. I think <i>Trainspotting</i> is a good film for comparison. The film basically opens with Renton trying to quit heroin. Of course, he doesn't, but it immediately begins with an admirable goal, one with which we can sympathize. There isn't even the prospect of quitting; even the cops pursuing the addicts are on meth. Overall, the gimmicks that fill this film can do nothing to counter its many glaring flaws.

• Bannan i

  
  What a ride, and I finally got around to watching it. Filled with interesting, complex and totally strung out characters...just going on with their everyday lives. Pretty intriguing flick.

• Cassandra M

  
  This film was great! Many people have compared it to Requiem for a Dream, however I preferred this movie (Because Brittany Murphy is on it). Requiem accurately depicted drug addiction and how low some people would sink for their next hit. It was a very depressing and powerful movie,… More
  This film was great! Many people have compared it to Requiem for a Dream, however I preferred this movie (Because Brittany Murphy is on it). Requiem accurately depicted drug addiction and how low some people would sink for their next hit. It was a very depressing and powerful movie, not one I would ever want to watch again. You leave the theater feeling extremely drained. Spun is altogether different. The only thing they have in common is their central theme. Spun centers around Ross, the fairly normal speed freak as his addiction takes him farther and farther away from reality. Initially, I thought the characters were grossly overacted, however as the movie progressed, the opening sequences did not seem as far removed from Ross' world as I had originally thought. It was very interesting to see Ross' character move farther and farther away from reality. It was only a 3-day all-you-can-consume speed trip, however he started off as a normal guy with a drug problem and ended up on Mars, completely detached from reality. I also thought the cartoon sequences were very effective, they accurately demonstrated his impoverished state of mind while he was tripping. The audience got the impression he really was flying in his own world. It was interesting to see the lifestyles of the other people involved in the drug trade, most had been completely dehumanized by their dependence, living in squalor yet completely unaware of their surroundings. A great film! One that I can watch again for entertainment purposes only, but which also drives home the anti-drug message without being preachy

• Conner R

  
  Wow, it does for cocaine what Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream did for Heroin. It has a lot of eye-opening scenarios that seem like they are all too real. John Leguizamo and Brittany Murphy just really did a great job in this, they came off as the craziest couple. The story was… More
  Wow, it does for cocaine what Trainspotting and Requiem for a Dream did for Heroin. It has a lot of eye-opening scenarios that seem like they are all too real. John Leguizamo and Brittany Murphy just really did a great job in this, they came off as the craziest couple. The story was simple, yet really fun and entertaining, without losing it's sense of purpose.

• Anthony L

  
  I didn?t know much about this before I watched it and it turned out to be a nice surprise! A great little film with a pretty good cast!

• Daniel J D

  
  Despite its wackiness, it wasn't particularly funny. I should've known from the inclusion of John Leguizamo that that would be the case, but I digress. It was worth it to see Jason Schwartzman and Patrick Fugit; Brittany Murphy wasn't too bad either.

• _kelly .

  
  It's been three years since I last screened this movie, so watching it last night and reflecting upon all the horror movies I've been watching, I realize that I've been letting too many movies get away with sloppy scripts. As SPUN demonstrates, a great script is easily… More
  It's been three years since I last screened this movie, so watching it last night and reflecting upon all the horror movies I've been watching, I realize that I've been letting too many movies get away with sloppy scripts. As SPUN demonstrates, a great script is easily achievable if there is any talent behind the effort. This film is more humorous to me now that I've seen the shock moments in the past, and can now view the film more objectively. Rourke is insansely awesome in this role, so much so that when I saw it first 3 years ago, I did not recognize him until the credits rolled. All the acting is top notch here. I really don't know who Brittany Murphy is other than she gets alot of press attention and people say she is overrated as an actress; I disagree based on her performance in this, if she is atrocious at other roles, at least she has "crankhead" to fall back on. Love the cinematography style, the realistic bent of the story and characters. <br/>One has to have thick skin not to be weirded out be this movie; it is, after all, a portrait of meth addicts, and that world accurately translated could never be pretty. Also, the score by Billy Corgan is amazing with special mention of Corgan's band Zwan covering "The Number of the Beast" acoustically, which is the title credits theme. Just a great film, will cause me to relieve some inferior pieces of unjustifiable stars.<br/><br/>"So Fucked Up" highlight:<br/>girl tied to bed for days listening to loud CD player skipping

• Curtis L

  
  Pretty dumb.

• Tim S

  
  Why did I have to watch Mena Suvari taking a shit? And why was I turned on?

• Emily A

  
  This movie was crazier and less enjoyable than I expected. It didn't really go anywhere, but maybe that was the point. The characters were all trapped in thier inert destructive quirkiness, wallowing in neglect. Ugh. Almost totally devoid of humour and made me want to take a… More
  This movie was crazier and less enjoyable than I expected. It didn't really go anywhere, but maybe that was the point. The characters were all trapped in thier inert destructive quirkiness, wallowing in neglect. Ugh. Almost totally devoid of humour and made me want to take a shower. I liked The Salton Sea a lot more than this- it went somewhere, ever so covertly. This movie is like a lump of mush. It's amusing, but still mush.

• Jens S

  
  Knowing director Jonas Åkerlund's work as video director for Metallica and Prodigy is like knowing this movie already: People doing drugs, throwing up, going to toilets and having sex. He tells that "story" with a lot of interesting fast cuts, camera rides, some cartoon… More
  Knowing director Jonas Åkerlund's work as video director for Metallica and Prodigy is like knowing this movie already: People doing drugs, throwing up, going to toilets and having sex. He tells that "story" with a lot of interesting fast cuts, camera rides, some cartoon clips and other gimmicks. Some parts are silly, others melacholic, most are amusing. In the end the movie has a cool look but doesn't make the drugs or their users look cool: every person in this movie is a damn loser and their lifes are a mess. That should get the point across.

• Luke B

  
  This film rocks mainly because of the cool sexy cast Rourke, Murphy and Leguizamo. Also some very interesting decisions from the director means the film never goes flat or boring.

• Mike T

  
  Although this high-energy film is extremely entertaining, it lacks dramatic elements required for the subject matter, and it's anything but original. Making use of techniques from techniques established in modern classic drug movies like Requiem for a Dream and Trainspotting, it… More
  Although this high-energy film is extremely entertaining, it lacks dramatic elements required for the subject matter, and it's anything but original. Making use of techniques from techniques established in modern classic drug movies like Requiem for a Dream and Trainspotting, it really does come off like a meth high on film. The acting from a terrific ensemble is top-notch and there are some exhilarating scenes, but any sort of emotional connection is nonexistent for the majority of the film. I must say, though, that closing shot is a stroke of genius. Really haunting.

• Sylvester K

  
  It has some stylish visual designs but there's really not storyline and good acting. Just pure exploitation of drugs

• Kevin L

  
  A visual fest from start to finish! I mean I looooved this movie! Reminded me of Requiem for a dream. The visual effects arent as cool as that film though. I did enjoy the cast of this film too. Jason Schwartzman was the fucking man in this.. Brittany Murphy was freaking sexy,as well… More
  A visual fest from start to finish! I mean I looooved this movie! Reminded me of Requiem for a dream. The visual effects arent as cool as that film though. I did enjoy the cast of this film too. Jason Schwartzman was the fucking man in this.. Brittany Murphy was freaking sexy,as well as trashy lol. and Mickey Rourke was amazing. Never a dull moment in this film, the characters will keep you engaged from start to finish. The one porblem with this movie was the story. It was all over the place! It was like, we go here, oh wait now we take you here...what the hell. Make up your mind lol. Most people woulndt let that go like I did since I found the visuals and the charcters so interesting. They were so dumb, very fun to watch. Not a movie for everyone though...

• Sunil J

  
  Trippy in a way that I found annoying.

• Adam M

  
  A great film.Really gripping,at times funny,at times shocking and you can feel the characters' paranoia.A great trip into the lives and minds of a group of drud addled friends and the people around them.

• Leo L

  
  Hilarious! An interesting movie with a great cast. Great music! Worth checking out.

• Christopher B

  
  Enjoyable film if seen in the right mood. i saw it at a midnight screening filled with a bunch of people who were totally into it and I thought it was just okay, so it may be even worse on video. Still, as a fast paced, visually stimulating sugar rush of a film this should work… More
  Enjoyable film if seen in the right mood. i saw it at a midnight screening filled with a bunch of people who were totally into it and I thought it was just okay, so it may be even worse on video. Still, as a fast paced, visually stimulating sugar rush of a film this should work well. And any film with an acoustic version of "Number of the Beast" is alright in my book.

• Wu C

  
  I thought this was supposed to be the next coming of Requiem. Halfway thru I wanted it to end. Nice editng and decent performances though.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings