This critically acclaimed Irish movie is earnest and has moments of realistic emotion and heartbreak, but I found the whole thing deadly dull - to the point of apathy. Way too much time is spent setting up the story and introducing us to the characters, none of whom are all that interesting. I'm all for good exposition, but this is just a group of teens drinking and making out and doing all the things teens do. We learn practically nothing beyond the bare bones of what is required for us to understand what will soon transpire. Reynor is actually quite good - I vaguely remember him from MIDSOMMAR, a movie I loved so much a few years ago. And while I love a good ambiguous ending, this feels like the last reel of the film was stolen. A couple moments between Richard and his dad are very moving, but considering the severity of what happens here, I found myself cold throughout. Abrahamson also made the Oscar-winning ROOM, another critically acclaimed film I couldn't recommend. So perhaps Lenny and I simply don't mesh. It happens. - Jeff Marshall, Movie Blogger (Facebook)

The movie was okay but the ending left u perplexed

A very disappointing ending.

Beautiful movie! Beautiful scenery, good actors and a plot that makes think about life and its surprises.

Dublin'de bir okulun popüler çocuğu olan, geleceği parlak görülen Richard'ın bir yaz gecesi kıskançlık ve öfke sebebiyle bir anda değişen hikâyesi. Kevin Power'ın romanından sinemaya uyarlanan film ne vicdani meselelere, ne de iç çatışmalara taraf tutarak bakıyor. Meselesini ağırlığı ve tarafsız kalayım derken derinleşememesi nedeniyle yeterince iyi aydınlatamıyor. Tutup da bir Raskolnikov beklemeyin.

This movie is loosely based on Kevin Power's Bad Day in Blackrock, a novel itself loosely based on a real story, so I do not think there is much reality in it, although the best thing in "What Richard Did" is that feels real, honest. Shame that the film does not have much more going beside that: a simple morality story that does not feel neither new nor particularly intense.

It was an okay movie with good acting. I was just expecting something worse what Richard did, it sure was horrible but I'd be more interested in something more torturous.

The star is good, as he's been in other films, but the movie doesn't have much story to tell.

Sharing the central character's name meant I needed to discover what Richard did and I'm glad I did because it was a very decent film. It's essentially about a young man living a privileged life in Dublin. Richard's parents have provided a comfortable life, he has a great group of friends, he is well liked and respected and he's just met the perfect girl. What follows is a story about the split decisions we make at the height of our emotions, and the consequences of this on the world around us and the people we love. I thought Jack Reynor was superb in the central role, a character desperately trying to keep up the facade that everyone has grown so used to while at the same time his world is crumbling around him. Having previously directed Garage, and later, Room, the director is skilled at creating fragile worlds where emotional and moral conflicts are heightened.

The plot sucks. No introduction of characters. No characters the audience is made to care about. The bad guys are bad and the good guys are bad. This movie is NOT worth the high marks it's got. It's boring AF!

Se veía venir que Lenny Abrahamson era un genio.

A film that's equal parts quiet and disquieting, What Richard Did hinges on a single moment. Like Julia Loktev's The Loneliest Planet last year, the circumstances and consequences surrounding this moment are complicated. Director Lenny Abrahamson presents the moment, its circumstances, and its consequences as an enormous gray area; His camera is never judgmental, his tone never more than observant. And looking at the final product, one can't help but wonder if a firmer stance in one direction or the other would have served the film better because What Richard Did, for everything it does right, is ultimately too sleepy to fully get behind. Richard Karlsen (Jack Reynor) is the focus of the film. He's a well-adjusted, popular, handsome, and smart Irish lad. We observe him in his natural habitat. He plays rugby, drinks beers with his friends, and gently hits on a lovely young lady named Lara (Roisin Murphy). The two ultimately start seeing each other, but Lara's ex-boyfriend, Conor (Sam Keeley), who's also a friend of Richard's, keeps nagging at her to get back with him. At a party, simmering tensions boil over, and something happens that will alter the lives of everyone involved forever. The film develops in a very low-key and naturalistic way, and Abrahamson's camera almost never leaves his lead actor. As such, there isn't much by the way of subplots-only a handful of different characters relating to Richard (and coping with what he did) in different ways. Because that act is both horrifying and extremely complicated, there's certainly no lack of material to be mined over the course of 90 minutes. But great drama never emerges. The film features some lovely, heartfelt character moments, but they're gone as quickly as they come. Ultimately, nothing that's great about this film lingers. There are some very good performances to be found, however, including that of Jack Reynor. The young man doesn't have many credits to his name (though he's been tapped to appear in the next Transformers film), but he makes the most out of a starring role here. The film wouldn't be anything without his easygoing charm in the film's first half, which turns into an attention-grabbing sense of distraught responsibility as the film marches toward its conclusion. The film's other great performance comes from Lars Mikkelsen, who plays Richard's father. His (and the film's) standout scene occurs late when Richard comes clean to him and only him. Over the course of a minute, you see him turn from sympathetic to horrified to protective. All three reactions feel authentic and seem plausible considering the circumstances of the incident. But the two of them together in a moment of pure desperation is something to behold. It's unfortunate that "It's boring" is the best I could do to explain why this film never fully came together for me, but it's the best I've got. What Richard Did does a few things very right, but there's no way I could unequivocally recommend a film that really drags as often as this one. http://www.johnlikesmovies.com/what-richard-did-review/

Beautiful scenery, youthful angst and relationships. Bonus: Lars Mikkelsen as the suffering father. Worthy of the time for the sea shores alone!

One of the dullest most boring films ever made. What did Richard do? Nothing really, nothing that warrants 1 and a half hours of slow melancholic drivel guaranteed to make you regret buying a DVD player. Its so dour and miserable, you are left feeling like "what I would do to Richard" if I ever got my hands on him.

A lot more attention will be paid to this if Abrahamson walks away with an Oscar next month. This coming of age tale is where the director came of age. It's a slow-burner; indeed not a lot happens in the first 30 minutes. However it all comes to the boil and is an excellent portrayal of raw grief and guilt. A film that leaves an impression.

A concise morality tale from Ireland. The story is engrossing with the cast of unknowns aptly portraying the layered emotions.

Social drama surrounding one disastrous moment. It's very much about the psychology around dealing with this and the relatively unknown set of actors pull this off well.

An interesting story which unravels itself slowly. Some superb performances. May have been based on a true story (if so well done on keeping it real) but as a movie story I feel falls a bit short towards the end . Well directed too

An understated, meticulously made Irish film, What Richard Did is a haunting tale that is in its structure too cold for its own good but also in scenes that can only be provided as gut wrenchingly raw impressively effective and a showcase for the young acting talent that is Jack Reynor. A major hit in its home country upon release and later on in its life cleaning up at the 2013 Irish Film and Television Awards with 5 big wins, Lenny Abrahamson's (keep an eye on this filmmaker with his upcoming film Frank creating some very decent hype) film is a unique and realistic look into a young life that will forever be changed due to the films centring act that is based upon an all too familiar true life event. The film asks a lot of its audience in its short 80 minute run time as director Lenny Abrahamson is in no hurry to tell the tale of Richard. The film doesn't adhere to normal narrative structure and we don't know a whole lot about who Richard or others in the film are yet what we do end up knowing about them is just enough to care and be affected by their situations that play out in such a realism that it would be impossible not to be moved by the occurrences. Abrahamson can take credit for this but major notices must be made of the films young star Reynor as the titular Richard. Reynor's performance in What Richard Did was enough to not only earn him praise in his home country but subsequent to the success of this venture Reynor moved straight into big screen behemoth Transformers: Age of Extinction and will likely be seen in more of the same to come. Reynor is a revelation here as the smart, in love and eventually tortured young man displaying a wide range of acting attributes that suggest a long career is to follow. A scene towards the later part of the film at Richard's family's beach house is particularly impressive with Reynor expressing a burst of internal emotion that will leave you feeling just as shell-shocked as the young man is. Professionally filmed, scored to perfection and acted with class from all involved What Richard Did is a fine film that is held back its sparseness at times and a conclusion that feels like a missed opportunity to provide something truly heart wrenching. For a film about youth and all the troubles that can come with it and a tale about life changing decisions it is top quality stuff and it's always a joy to see a new young actor of considerable talent ply their trade and set their career on a path that hopefully makes good use of some undeniable talent. 3 and a half Irish beers out of 5 For more movie reviews and opinions check out - www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com

This tale attempts to cover many aspects of familiar and peer/societal expectations, idiosyncrasies and dysfunction and, is about an entitled top dog and his inner struggles after causing a young(er) man's untimely death. Do we listen to our moral conscience or continue in our pursuits no matter the cost(s)?