X
  • 2021
  • Not Rated
  • RLJE Films
  • 1 h 30 m
  • 2021
  • Not Rated
  • RLJE Films
  • 1 h 30 m

Summary In the Summer of 1987, four friends, reeling from the sudden break-up of the iconic British band The Smiths, embark on a night out of partying to mourn their musical loss. At the same time, an impassioned Smiths fan takes a local radio DJ hostage at gunpoint and forces him to play nothing but Smiths tracks. With the radio station playing...

Directed By: Stephen Kijak

Written By: Stephen Kijak, Lorianne Hall

  • 2021
  • Not Rated
  • RLJE Films
  • 1 h 30 m
  • 2021
  • Not Rated
  • RLJE Films
  • 1 h 30 m

Shoplifters of the World

Metascore Mixed or Average Based on 9 Critic Reviews
50
User Score Generally Favorable Based on 6 User Ratings
7.0
My Score
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Where to Watch

Summary In the Summer of 1987, four friends, reeling from the sudden break-up of the iconic British band The Smiths, embark on a night out of partying to mourn their musical loss. At the same time, an impassioned Smiths fan takes a local radio DJ hostage at gunpoint and forces him to play nothing but Smiths tracks. With the radio station playing...

Directed By: Stephen Kijak

Written By: Stephen Kijak, Lorianne Hall

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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View All Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 9 Critic Reviews
50
44% Positive
4 Reviews
22% Mixed
2 Reviews
33% Negative
3 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Mixed or Average Based on 9 Critic Reviews
50
44% Positive
4 Reviews
22% Mixed
2 Reviews
33% Negative
3 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
75
Apr 2, 2021
As a valentine to influential 80s alt-rockers The Smiths, Shoplifters of the World is unbeatable, propelled by original Smiths music along with archival footage of band interviews and performances, vintage posters, magazine covers, album sleeves and just about every other bit of era-specific ephemera you can name.
By Kim Hughes FULL REVIEW
70
Mar 25, 2021
Shoplifters of the World, in fact, belongs to Cleo, not just because Howard is such a dizzyingly charismatic actress but because her story, which unfolds parallel to Dean’s, is a heartfelt coming-of-age drama that perfectly embodies the youthful angst, ennui and romantic longing expressed so well in the music of the Smiths.
By Katie Walsh FULL REVIEW
67
Mar 24, 2021
The result is imperfect (the acting can be uneven outside of Howard’s innate talent to demand the undivided attention of everyone on-screen and off), but its messaging and execution is a lot more resonant than I expected going in—a less successful sibling to Blinded By the Light.
By Jared Mobarak FULL REVIEW
42
Mar 29, 2021
The rare moments when Shoplifters of the World isn’t tripping over its own cutesy fan service reveal a movie that’s listening for the real and mysterious friction that has always transmuted suicidal music into its own kind of salvation.
By David Ehrlich FULL REVIEW
42
Mar 25, 2021
Shoplifters Of The World seems intended as a love letter to The Smiths, but in trying to convey the British band’s importance, it comes across more like fan fiction—too reference-heavy for a general audience, too shallow for those already in the know.
By Josh Modell FULL REVIEW
38
Mar 23, 2021
The film lacks for the empathy, curiosity, and sense of humor that are the defining characteristics of the Smiths’s music.
By David Robb FULL REVIEW
30
Jun 8, 2021
The lack of a strong narrative and characters, paired with pacing issues, turn the film from an intriguing premise to a boring, hollow, and overall tedious watch.
By Mae Abdulbaki FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 6 User Ratings
7.0
67% Positive
4 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
33% Negative
2 Ratings

User Reviews

 View All
User Score
Generally Favorable Based on 6 User Ratings
7.0
67% Positive
4 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
33% Negative
2 Ratings

There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.

Details

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Production Company Oscura Film, 3:59, Untitled Entertainment
Release Date Mar 26, 2021
Duration 1 h 30 m
Rating Not Rated
Genres
Website https://sotw-movie.com/
View All Details

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