The Upside | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

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Where to Watch The Upside What to Know Critics Reviews Audience Reviews My Rating Cast & Crew More Like This Related Movie News Videos The Upside Photos The Upside

43%

Tomatometer

191 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Phillip is a wealthy quadriplegic who needs a caretaker to help him with his day-to-day routine in his New York penthouse. He decides to hire Dell, a struggling parolee who's trying to reconnect with his ex and his young son. Despite coming from two different worlds, an unlikely friendship starts to blossom as Dell and Phillip rediscover the joy of living life to the fullest.

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The Upside

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Critics Consensus

Preachy, manipulative, and frustratingly clichéd, The Upside showcases Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart's chemistry without ever taking full advantage of it.

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Critics Reviews

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Ben Sachs

Chicago Reader

Director Neil Burger, for his part, moves the story along fairly briskly, refusing to let the film's schmaltziness weigh it down. This is nothing remarkable, but it could have been a lot worse.

Apr 13, 2020

Full Review

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

Does it work? No, not really... But Kevin Hart is good.

Sep 13, 2019

Full Review

Brad Newsome

Sydney Morning Herald

As the paint-by-numbers plot progresses -- over two very long hours -- the treacle thickens and it becomes clear that each of them is slowly going to learn from and be redeemed by the others.

May 3, 2019

Full Review

Calum Cooper

Source (Scotland)

It’s perfectly fine, all things considered, but it’s still far too mechanical for my tastes.

Rated: 2/5

Jul 14, 2024

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

The film’s investment is in telling us about this crazy and unique friendship. In doing so it may not hit every note it should, but it still manages to be a worthwhile watch.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 21, 2022

Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

The Upside appeals to mass audience erogenous zones (bankable star, humor, candy-coating issues) that’s unapologetically feel-good while offering award season relief.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

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Audience Reviews

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Katie D definitely funny and heartwarming! I have to say that although it was supposed to be set in New York, I could tell that it was not actually filmed there. I did not realize that this was a remake and now I'd like to watch the French version to compare. It did make me wonder what parts really happened, what was based on the autobiography, what was based on the other film and what was made up. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/15/21 Full Review Lukas K While not as extraordinary as the original it does manage to present a few twist. Enganing enough to be worth a watch albeit with hiccups. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/17/24 Full Review Laze T Nice little heart warming film should watch it on a Saturday night with a loved one Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/27/24 Full Review Ingrid d You get knocked down in life, and sometimes there are angels to give a hand to soften your fall. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/24/24 Full Review Audience Member Watched this movie on a whim and it was amazing. Such a great story and great acting from Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston. It’s a movie that I think everyone should check out. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/26/24 Full Review Derek V Great movie! Great actors and story! Could have the story been developed better? Yes. But overall it is still a good movie, not sure why critics are so hard on the movie. Would recommend Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/17/24 Full Review Read all reviews

The Upside

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Cast & Crew

Neil Burger Director Kevin Hart Dell Scott Bryan Cranston Phillip Lacasse Nicole Kidman Yvonne Pendleton Aja Naomi King Latrice Jahi Di'Allo Winston Anthony

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The Upside

The Upside: Name the Review

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The Upside: Exclusive Interview

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The Upside: Trailer 1

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The Upside

A scene from "The Upside."

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The Upside (2017)

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Synopsis Phillip is a wealthy quadriplegic who needs a caretaker to help him with his day-to-day routine in his New York penthouse. He decides to hire Dell, a struggling parolee who's trying to reconnect with his ex and his young son. Despite coming from two different worlds, an unlikely friendship starts to blossom as Dell and Phillip rediscover the joy of living life to the fullest.

Director: Neil Burger
Producer: Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch
Screenwriter: Jon Hartmere
Distributor: STX Films
Production Co: Escape Artists
Rating: PG-13 (Suggestive Content|Drug Use)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 11, 2019, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 14, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $108.2M
Runtime: 2h 6m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)