Starred Up contrasts the brutal hierarchy of the prison with the idealistic, yet fragile, efforts of group therapy. Oliver (Rupert Friend), a therapist based on screenwriter Jonathan Asser himself, attempts to teach the inmates to use words instead of fists. These sessions provide rare moments of "surprising tenderness" in an otherwise "foreboding" environment.
The film suggests that the prison environment renders "ceaseless violence as a sport," where characters adopt the behaviors the world expects of them. Eric’s struggle is not just against the guards or other prisoners, but against the inevitability of becoming exactly like his father—a man whose "barely controlled malevolence" has left him with no life outside the walls. Conclusion Starred Up
A key theme is the performance of masculinity required to survive institutionalization. Eric’s hyper-aggression is a "facade" designed to prevent others from seeing the "confused child" beneath. This is most evident in the scene where he soaps himself up before a fight—a tactical choice to make himself harder to grab, but also a ritual that highlights his vulnerability. Starred Up contrasts the brutal hierarchy of the