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Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Griffiths, Katie Jarvis, Sydney Mary Nash, Harry Treadaway ... see more see more... , Kierston Wareing

A mother and daughter find themselves locked in an ugly battle over the same man in this drama from writer and director Andrea Arnold. Mia Williams (Katie Jarvis) is 15 years old and lives in a shabby... read more read more... apartment block with her mother, Joanne (Kierston Wareing), and younger sister, Tyler (Rebecca Griffiths). Mia is a reckless and rebellious teenager who frequently argues with her mother and sister and has run afoul of the authorities at school, leading to her being suspended. With plenty of time on her hands, Mia spends her days drinking when she can find alcohol and partying in a empty flat near her apartment. Joanne is a single mother, and she's begun dating a new man, Connor (Michael Fassbender); when Joanne brings him home to meet the girls, Mia is immediately attracted to him, and it's soon clear Connor feels the same way about her. Mia attempts to seduce Connor to take him away from her mother, and when she succeeds, Joanne's greatest anger is not with the man who has slept with her underaged daughter, but the girl who is now a rival for the affections of her lover. Fish Tank was an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

78% liked it

9,782 ratings

Critics

90% liked it

137 critics

Unrated, 2 hr. 4 min.

Directed by: Andrea Arnold

Release Date: January 15, 2010

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DVD Release Date: March 22, 2010

Stats: 1,295 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,295)

  • SirPant
    November 15, 2011
    SirPant
    Another fantastically gritty drama from Andrea Arnold. Katie Jarvis was perfect casting as someone with no training, her schizophrenic approach is thrilling and yet quite typical of certain youth these days, making this a very believable drama. Post modern Neo-realism without all... read more the existential nonsense, the way all films should be filmed in my book. Andrea Arnold is rapidly becoming one of my favourite directors and definitely someone to look out for!
  • MrMarakai
    October 9, 2011
    MrMarakai
    Director Andrea Arnold's debut "Red Road" was a raw and vivid portrayal of a working class Glasgow area. Now she takes us to a working class Essex area with just the same impact and realism.
    Ostracised by her friends and excluded from school, Mia (Katie Jarvis) is a lairy teenag... read moreer living in a high-rise block with her mother and younger sister. One day her mum brings home a charismatic stranger (Michael Fassbender) who shows genuine care for the girl but may also care in ways that will add to already hothouse living conditions.
    Directors Mike Leigh and Ken Loach are no stranger to exploring dysfunctional families in working class drama's, but now there are several quality directors appearing with voices (and eyes) of their own. Shane Meadows, Peter Mullan and Lynne Ramsey are a few and now Andrea Arnold can count herself as one. This is a simmering drama full of anger, frustration, sexual tension and desire. Katie Jarvis (in her film debut) as the testy teenager, who can't quite contain her emotions, is marvellous in the lead role. Aided by an enigmatic Fassbender. The chemistry between them is key to the whole film working and they both deliver excellent performances. Jarvis has yet to come into her own with further work but it's easy to see why Fassbender is now in high demand. Full of suggestion and supression, this is an intense sexually charged film that director Arnold handles deftly.
    As British 'kitchen-sink' drama's go, this can proudly include itself among the finest and Andrea Arnold is without doubt a director for the watching. Powerful stuff.
  • theunknownhobo
    September 10, 2011
    theunknownhobo
    After hearing mixed reviews for this gritty journey into the true heart of the British teenage life, I was intrigued to see, as I was once a British teenager myself, how well Arnold managed to capture the spirit of what it is to be in the lower chains of British society as a chil... read mored. I was not disappointed and whilst watching the film I genuinely felt the performances on the part of the adults, but more importantly, felt that Jarvis was stunning, definatley carving out a place for herself in British cinema to come.
  • axadntpron
    August 31, 2011
    axadntpron
    Could be described as a British Neo-Neorealist film with Michael Fassbender. Andrea Arnold impressively follows the plight of a poverty stricken teen and her struggle to stay afloat amid squalid surroundings and miserly people. First off, the acting is absolutely astounding. Espe... read morecially for a debut performance, Katie Jarvis is not only perfect for the lead role, but seems completely natural on screen with the master himself Michael Fassbender. Secondly, the film looks looks fantastic. The colors look slightly desaturated and although the picture looks crisp and clear, gives the effect that this particular place in Britain is surrounded in a general haze. Although it really steps out of the realm of believability towards the end, it is a very impressive film overall. Since this is my first Arnold film, I will definitely be on the lookout for her work in the future.
  • ythelastman89
    August 30, 2011
    ythelastman89
    I wasn't all that surprised that Fish Tank was a great movie, but that I was able to empathize with a 15-year-old aspiring hip-hop dancer who fantasizes about having sex with her mom's boyfriend. That's when you know a character is well put together and has a great performance to... read more back it up. Katie Jarvis gave one of those performances that feels completely realistic, but totally shocking that she's not a professional actor and had next to no experience prior. It's almost mind boggling how talented she is when you consider that. The movie could have really failed and not nearly been as engaging without her doing what she did in the role. I felt like this was a real person and the camera was just following her around her neighborhood. Connecting with what could be a repulsive character is also really something that should be addressed. Not only was I really pulling for her to do well at her dance audition, but I honestly found myself agreeing with most of the decisions she made. Michael Fassbender was also pretty flawless here and it's easy to see where a character like his could've gone in a completely different direction if he didn't give the performance he did. The whole relationship with these characters was extremely interesting and puts something like An Education to shame. It's amazing how more realistic and shocking things can get when you take away certain human qualities. Where this dares to go is important and I think it's a brave step. A lot of movies are frightened to address or even play around a taboo subject, but this does it almost effortlessly. Every moment feels natural and that makes it all the more effective to watch. To add to this movie's great characterization and subject matter, it has some amazing cinematography. The way this movie looks is incredible and captures almost a documentary realism with the movement and angels you see. However, the quality of the image is so well put together and beautiful that it doesn't feel cheap and forgettable. The way it captures the backdrop is so important to why the characters and story works the way it does. Without it, you'd only have the content to focus on; which is a total cheat when you're working with a highly visual medium.
  • vendettagainst
    August 25, 2011
    vendettagainst
    *Vague Spoilers*

    Okay, the film is much more intense than I thought it would be. It's a nearly flawless piece of social realism, but here's what's keeping me from giving it more than a 90%:

    *Mia's boyfriend is not developed nearly enough and simply isn't given enough screen... read more time.
    *Although the closing shot is pretty beautiful, the ending itself is a bit of a copout. This is largely because Mia's boyfriend is not developed enough!
    *At times the film becomes a bit melodramatic. (Actually, only one scene towards the end of the film [kind of] bothered me.)

    In any other case these three flaws would earn the movie a mid-high 80. However, the performances, especially from the lead who had no prior acting experience; are absolutely on target. (I also love Michael Fassbender in just about everything he's in... Not Jonah Hex!!) All of the cast adds to the social realism that the film is trying to capture. The cinematography, as well as Andrea Arnold's competent direction and deep and personal screenplay also bump this film up considerably. I give it a 90% on the dot.

    Despite just having seen the film today, I'm tempted to revisit it already. It's like a... drug.
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    July 4, 2011
    YLOWBSTARDreturns
    A hard hitting, gritty, and intimate British drama with award caliber performances that is among the best 2010 will have to offer. Great stuff!
  • hobster1
    May 9, 2011
    hobster1
    Award winning coming-of age drama is a searing full frontal assault into a 15 year old girl's difficult life. Or is that a difficult girl's life? Her hardscrabble world in England is the subject here. From a working class background, she lives with her single mother and foul-mout... read morehed younger sister in decaying government funded public housing. Mia is one tough cookie and has built an emotional wall around herself, not allowing anyone in and certainly not letting any emotions out. Her lone joy is dancing to the American hip hop of artists like Ja Rule and Nas. Then one day her mother's new boyfriend, Connor, enters the picture and from then on, things will never be quite the same. The fish tank is her claustrophobic existence. Director Andrea Arnold forgoes traditional wide screen for a 4:3 aspect ratio, a virtually square frame that goes a long way in highlighting the anxiety within Mia's depressed reality. This is pretty dreary stuff, but the portrait is honest. She's a genuine character, albeit distant, that grows on you. Heretofore unknown actress Katie Jarvis is remarkably natural as the troubled teen. Granted, Mia is partially a victim of her surroundings. She responds admirably to positive encouragement. But she's also consistently sour and it's awkward rooting for her at times. The storyline is intent on always showing us the ugly side of her life. It's raw and while I admire the realism and sincerity of human emotion on display, the script wallows a bit too much in despair. These characters are miserable. One late plot development is a deception so thorough, it feels as if even the viewer has been betrayed. She just can't seem to catch a break. It ends on an unpleasant note and that reaction is what lingers after the film is over.
  • jennifxu
    April 29, 2011
    jennifxu
    For such a simple, almost cliched premise, Fish Tank is a really well made movie. The fish eye lens really clinched that feeling of suffocation.
  • stevenecarrier
    March 19, 2011
    stevenecarrier
    Andrea Arnold's "Fish Tank" is not about destinations, it's about journeys. It's not concerned with drawing lines between good people and bad people. It's about showing people in certain situations and how they react. Her lens is concerned with showing these people as authentic h... read moreuman beings, no matter what they might be hiding behind their guarded exteriors. Michael Fassbender is great here as his progression is risky and ultimately jarring- even if it's somewhat expected. The real find is non-actor Katie Jarvis. Her performance is mesmerizing and nothing short of daring. "Fish Tank" isn't necessarily anything original when it comes to it's overall story arc, but it's gritty and realistic and always gripping.

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Critic Reviews

David Denby
July 7, 2010
David Denby, New Yorker

Fish Tank may begin as a patch of lower-class chaos, but it turns into a commanding, emotionally satisfying movie, comparable to such youth-in-trouble classics as The 400 Blows. Full Review

Ian Buckwalter
July 4, 2010
Ian Buckwalter, NPR

A bold new entry in the long-standing British tradition of disquieting social realism. Full Review

Colin Covert
March 18, 2010
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

The characters are guarded, and as we come to understand them scene by scene, they become ever harder to sort into convenient categories of hero and villain. Full Review

Tom Long
March 5, 2010
Tom Long, Detroit News

Writer-director Andrea Arnold, working in British lower-class realism, still finds wondrous moments of connection in Mia's life. Full Review

David Germain
March 5, 2010
David Germain, Associated Press

Writer-director Andrea Arnold has created something so real and raw, you may come away with a twinge of guilty voyeurism, a sense of peering too closely and impolitely into other people's lives. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
February 26, 2010
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

The film swims in an anguish not solely the result of Mia's coming of age -- and yet, it surfaces for air in ways compelling and uncompromising. Full Review

Peter Rainer
February 19, 2010
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Fish Tank, which won the 2009 Jury Prize in Cannes, has moments when Mia's tribulations really hit home. Full Review

Rick Groen
February 19, 2010
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

To the script's credit, when the climax comes it feels inevitable yet surprising too -- that ideal combination. Full Review

Peter Howell
February 19, 2010
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

In a year less crowded with new young talent, Katie Jarvis might now be getting fittings for her Oscar nomination dress. Full Review

Steven Rea
February 11, 2010
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Fish Tank digs around in its protagonist's psyche, unafraid to explore. It's oppressive and claustrophobic, confused and scary in there. But it's also compellingly real. Full Review

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    • Tyler: [runs after car, shouts to Mia inside] Don't forget to text me! Say hello to the Welsh for me!
    • Mia: Can you give Keeley a message for me? Tell her I think her old man's a cunt!
  • Live, love and give as good as you get.
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