There are some movies you watch once and forget. And then there are movies like “High-Rise” that cling to your brain like static, even if you’re not entirely sure what you just watched.
I stumbled across it on Prime Video a few months back, not expecting much beyond “Tom Hiddleston flexing his impressive acting skills in a suit.” But what I got instead was something far stranger, darker, and weirder than I’d anticipated. The kind of movie where you sit there afterward, slightly disturbed, but also in awe.
Directed by Ben Wheatley and based on the novel by J.G. Ballard, “High-Rise” is one of those movies that’s basically begging to be discovered, or rewatched with a better understanding of what the hell is going on. It didn’t make a huge splash when it first came out in 2016, and honestly, I don’t hear people bring it up often when talking about Hiddleston’s work. But they should.
Unfortunately, Prime Video is removing “High-Rise” from its streaming library on June 28, which means you only have a short window left to watch this gripping sci-fi thriller before it disappears. If you’re into stylishly unhinged movies with striking visuals, big performances, and just the right amount of chaos, “High-Rise” is one you don’t want to miss.
What is ‘High-Rise’ about?
“High-Rise” follows Dr. Robert Laing (Tom Hiddleston), a reserved and well-mannered man who moves into a luxurious high-rise tower on the outskirts of London. The building is a marvel of modern architecture, offering its residents everything they could possibly need: a supermarket, gym, swimming pool, and even a school, eliminating the need to ever leave.
Laing quickly settles into his sleek new apartment and begins to meet his neighbors, including the charismatic documentarian Richard Wilder (Luke Evans) and the building’s mysterious architect, Anthony Royal (Jeremy Irons), who lives in the penthouse.
At first, the building feels like a self-contained paradise, but tensions soon begin to surface between floors. Small inconveniences like power outages, elevator malfunctions, and disputes over amenities start to expose fractures in the social dynamic.
As time passes, these irritations escalate into open conflict, with residents dividing themselves by floor and growing increasingly tribal. The building begins to descend into chaos: parties turn violent, hallways become battlegrounds, and order completely unravels.
Why you should stream ‘High-Rise’ before it leaves Prime Video
To be honest, the first twenty minutes of “High-Rise” left me a bit confused, and I wasn’t sure if I’d enjoy it. But once the story started to come together, it turned into a mind-bending thrill ride that both fascinated me and had me scanning for the building’s emergency exits, since it felt surprisingly claustrophobic (which is kind of the whole point).
Starting off with a bizarre barbecue scene and moving into an unsettling medical lesson, this movie is definitely not for those easily shaken (or dog lovers). It’s a beautifully crafted descent into chaos.
Inside the cold, concrete walls of a towering high-rise, the movie unfolds like a social experiment brought to life, showing what happens when people are cut off from the outside world. It explores how the mind unravels when trapped and how quickly ethics fall apart when social classes are pushed to their breaking point.
The building is home to a mix of upper-middle-class residents like filmmakers and orthodontists, along with wealthier elites such as celebrities and socialites. They’re separated by which floor they live on and even their parking spots.
These two groups don’t really want to mingle, but at first, they’re not exactly enemies either. After all, no matter how high or low their apartment is, everyone’s supposed to have access to the same amenities.
During a casual visit, Royal tells Laing that the building is “settling,” so occasional power cuts and water outages are to be expected. That sounds reasonable at first, until it becomes clear that these problems mostly hit the lower floors, not the higher ones. This is, of course, where things start to fall apart.
The whole concept of “High-Rise” is genuinely interesting, and once things start to spiral, it’s hard to look away. When the madness does take over, the movie becomes even more of a visual treat, while the Kubrick-like camera movement and carefully framed shots make everything feel deliberately unsettling. Filmed mostly in Bangor, Northern Ireland, you can't help but admire the overall look of this movie.
Hiddleston is the perfect anchor for “High-Rise,” given his calm energy that somehow makes his character feel completely at home in all the chaos. And it’s a shame that this movie is probably one of his most overlooked roles.
In fact, this movie is overlooked in the thriller genre, period. If you're into unusual stories and great visuals, “High-Rise” might pull you in. It's a strange one, for sure, but its unique style and odd details could really grow on you, and I certainly found myself more intrigued the deeper I got into the story (even if it’s a little confusing with no real narrative drive).
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, it has a critics rating of 60%, with audiences giving it a very low score of 38% (a little harsh, in my opinion). The site’s critics consensus reads: “High-Rise may not quite live up to its classic source material, but it still offers an energetic, well-acted, and thought-provoking take on its timely socioeconomic themes.”
This is a statement I can agree with. “High-Rise” is in no means an excellent movie, given its narrative flaws, but it’s still a good one. And it’s worth streaming on Prime Video before it leaves on June 28. If you’re not convinced, you can see what got added to the streamer this month.
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