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The Upside
2019 126 min United States of America PG-13 16+
★6.5
Comedy, Drama
Director: Neil Burger
🎭 Based on
«The Intouchables»
Trailers
EN
Teaser
Teaser
EN
EN
EN
EN
Description
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.
Budget:
$37.5M
US Gross:
$108.25M
Worldwide:
$125.86M
Starring
Kevin Hart
Actor
Bryan Cranston
Actor
Nicole Kidman
Actor
Awards
2 wins & 3 nominations total
Key opinion
The Upside is widely regarded as a hollow, unnecessary remake that fails to capture the emotional depth and atmosphere of the original French film. While a minority of viewers find it a pleasant, coherent dramedy, most critics fault its reliance on clichéd stereotypes and its inability to replicate the authentic chemistry found in the source material.
| Adaptation | The film functions as a soulless, frame-by-frame imitation that lacks the sincerity, warmth, and nuanced character development of the original. | |
| Direction | The direction relies on blunt, explicit exposition and predictable tropes, failing to achieve the subtle emotional resonance of the French original. | |
| Humor | The comedy is frequently criticized for replacing the original's gentle humor with forced, crude, and stereotypical gags. | |
| Acting | Critics are split on the performances: some viewers appreciate the chemistry and energy between Hart and Cranston, while others find their acting shallow, unconvincing, and lacking the rapport of the original leads. | |
| Originality | Opinions on the overall narrative are divided; some praise the film as a solid, well-paced American adaptation that works for a new audience, while others dismiss it as an uninspired and redundant production. |