Raging Grace

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Paris Zarcilla directs. Joel Honeywell behind the camera. Jon Clarke scores. Christopher CF Chow cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English, Tagalog.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

• 1Released 3 years ago.
• 2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Tagalog.
• 3Directed by Paris Zarcilla, shot by Joel Honeywell. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
• 4Original score by Jon Clarke. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
• 5Editor Christopher CF Chow shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
• 6Leanne Best and Max Eigenmann and Jaeden Paige Boadilla carry the top of the cast.
• 7Marketing tagline: "A coming of rage.".
• 8IMDB entry: tt14946978 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
• 9Only 52 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography

Joel Honeywell

Original score

Jon Clarke

Editing

Christopher CF Chow

Production design

Amy Beth Addison

Makeup / hair

Sophie Mac

Stunt coordinator

Nathaniel Marten

Runtime

100 min · 1h 40m

Aspect ratio (typical)

1.37:1 (Academy)

Status

Released

Original language

EN

IMDB

Raging Grace (2023) ↗

Rotten Tomatoes

93% 🍅 Fresh

Metacritic

65/100

IMDB rating

5.8/10 · 2,788 votes

Also by

Paris Zarcilla

• 
  Pommel

  2018 · ★ 8.0

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

• 

  ▶
  Mark Kermode reviews Raging Grace (2023) | BFI Player

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  How Raging Grace was born from an incandescent rage and the horror of a existential crisis | BAFTA

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  Master Garrett

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  The Letters

  Clip · Official
• 

  ▶
  In Conversation with film editors Christopher CF Chowe (BFE) and Eddie Hamilton (ACE)

  Featurette · Official
• 

  ▶
  In Conversation with writer/directors Paris Zarcilla and Lulu Wang

  Featurette · Official

Community reviews

What people are saying

• CinemaSerf2024-01-15
  ★ 6/10

  "Joy" (Max Eigenmann) is struggling to find work and bring up her young daughter "Grace" (Jaeden Paige Boadilla) in a Britain where she has no legal status. That sends her down the agency cleaning route where she arrives at the large home of "Katherine" (Leanne Best) who is looking after her bedridden elderly uncle "Garrett" (David Hayman). Now her new employer knows nothing of the daughter, even though her's is a live-in appointment. It's only when "Katherine" has to go away for a weekend leaving the elderly man - and his medication - in her care, that "Grace" can be herself a bit more and we start to realise that there's something fishy going on. Indeed, a mishap with the pills starts to enliven this hitherto husk of a man and we soon start to wonder if "Katherine" isn't up to no good. The enigmatic "Garrett" is clearly no saint either, and though he befriends the curious and friendly "Grace" with hot chocolate, it's increasingly clear that he too has an agenda - especially when her mother is rounded up by immigration officials. Most of this film is actually unremarkable, but the last half hour or so does liven it up a little as all of the characters start to come into play and the story begins to pick up some pace. Hayman delivers quite well, keeping us guessing for a while about the true nature of his character, but the rest of the acting and the writing are neither here nor there and there is much too much preamble. The denouement reminded me a little of something Edgar Wright might have delivered, but otherwise it's not really much more than an OK watch.

  Read full review ↓
• patient12025-10-12
  ★ 6/10

  The struggle to become a citizen is where we start our film journey, which must be a true hardship on anyone seeking a new life, either for themselves or a family. So many treacherous things are coming to light. It appears money truly does corrupt the soul of appears. This film is driving me all the wrong ways, so I guess it's doing its job with the actor's portrayal of such heinous individuals. The manipulation is so subtle and yet so powerfully wicked, finding it hard to comprehend how such vile behavior is considered to be deemed as acceptable to get what it is you desire.

  Read full review ↓

Production companies

Who made it

• LA

  Last Conker

Key crew

• ProducerChi Thai
• Production DesignAmy Beth Addison
• Art DirectionIsobel Baker-Smith
• Makeup & HairSophie Mac
• Music SupervisorSian Rogers
• Makeup & HairFiona Alexander
• Costume SupervisorFiona Fernie
• Makeup & HairMathilda Mace
• Production DesignerAmy Addison
• Co-ProducerDarlene Catly Malimas
• EditorChristopher CF Chow
• Foley ArtistPeter Burgis
• Co-WriterPancake Zarcilla
• CastingKaty Covell
• CastingOllie Gilbert
• Costume DesignerAmy Beth Addison
• Production ManagerShaun Rhodes
• First Assistant DirectorCarlotta Beck Peccoz
• Story EditorRuth Tien An Whittle
• Additional EditingSarah Brewerton
• Stunt CoordinatorNathaniel Marten
• StuntsErin Jackson
• GafferTom Nowell

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

• immigrant

Release history · US

When it landed

• Premiere2023-03-12· South by Southwest Film & TV Festival
• Theatrical (limited)2023-12-01
• Digital2023-12-08