I wanted to love this film, I really tried. I adore Mr. Phoenix in anything, terrific actor and saved this from being thrown out in the garbage. But, I just never understood the plot, or better yet, found a plot! I felt so let down half way through not being able to figure out a Damn thing. Movie ends, and I still have no idea what the Hell just happened. Just too boring and confusing to get into. Would not recommend this movie to anyone but cinema A/O Noir freaks

This is a very basic story (done in around 30 minutes) hidden behind an hour of pretentious visuals of walking, driving and staring. Noir elements were lacking, and it got really tedious after the first 30 minutes. It was obvious what was going to happen, but it took the movie a really long time to actually get there. This movie always tried to look smarter than it actually was. This looks like a case when the creators thought they were very intellectual and the people watching wouldn't possibly be able to get that rich emotional phase the main character is going through so they felt the need to overload the movie with obvious symbolism which I'm sure they were taking very seriously. They were probably just spilling their ego all over the place or they simply tried to make this look serious and complicated to make less experienced movie goers feel like there is something cool and important going on they don't understand and this means that the movie is very smart and cool. It's not. Thanks, Joaquin Phoenix, for making it less painful to sit through.

WARNING SPOILERS! You Were Never Really Here....nobody was anywhere. It was all over the place. What was with the back and forth flashbacks of Phoenix as a child? That was never explained. If the writer wanted to do a piece about human sex trafficking then do it-it needs to be addressed because the media won't talk about it. But this was a garbage piece that went in circles. This is why I do not go to the movies. Most films out of Hollyweird stink and this one reeks. It's not art - I don't know who thinks this movie is in any way art. Save your time and moola

If I were to describe this movie in as little words as possible, I would say this is a bleak, brutal, slowburning masterpiece. What Lynne Ramsey has crafted is a character study unlike any other. Our protagonist is named Joe, he's a war vet who's constantly fighting with his own personal demons which we see through small flashbacks throughout the film, these never really get explained nor do they show very much, but what we do see is enough to tell us why he's the way he is. He's a hired gun who hunts down missing girls and their captors to save them and punish those who have done the unspeakable deed. He takes a job that's no different than any other, but so quick does it become something he's never dealt with. The movie plops you down into Joes world almost immediately, showing us the care he takes in his craft. Also showing us that he is a very disturbed man in the same intro. The movie is almost like a day in the life as it has a very loose plot line that is fairly simple once you understand, and only takes place through a couple of days, but it doesn't take away from it at all. The star of the show is Joaquin Phoenix, as he's the only character that says more than 10 lines, his performance is one of the best of the decade so far as he portrays this broken man unlike anybody else could. The cinematography is beautiful yet bleak in its portrayal of the dark underbelly of New York, even in the scenes where it seems more safe. Ramsey's direction was amazing, this being her first time dealing with such violence, she nailed it. And what sends it all home is the perfect score which is worth listening to even if you have yet to see the movie. Overall in my personal opinion, it's the best movie to be released in 2018. What Lynne Ramsey has made is a dark, thrilling experience which is unlike anything I've seen put to screen.