Before ‘Gladiator 2,’ Joseph Quinn’s ‘Make Up’ Was Divisive

Actor Joseph Quinn has undoubtedly carved himself a prosperous career. Starting in a series of indie films, he would become a fan favorite in Stranger Things, where he played Eddie Munson, impressed in the blockbuster Gladiator II as Emporer Gata, and is set to “Flame on” as the new Johnny Storm in The Fantastic Four and Avengers films. While the British actor has made himself a hot commodity, he starred in one indie film in 2020 that was highly divisive.

While Make Up impressed critics, the audience did not nearly share as much love for the dark coming-of-age thriller. We will look at why there was a divide and whether the movie is worth a second look now that Joseph Quinn has become a beloved star of the screen.

‘Make Up’ Is a Fever Dream Coming-of-Age Story

Make Up

Release Date July 31, 2020

Director Claire Oakley

Cast Molly Windsor , Joseph Quinn , Stefanie Martini , Theo Barklem-Biggs , Elodie Wilton , Lisa Palfrey , Emilia Copeland , Maureen Wild , Derek Frood , Rachel Palmer

Runtime 86 minutes

An 18-year-old Ruth moves in with her boyfriend Tom in a remote Caravan park where he works for the summer. However, Ruth quickly becomes paranoid that Tom is seeing someone else when she discovers lipstick at his place. While getting used to the community, Ruth meets Jade and becomes enamored with the woman. Battling insecurity and uncertainty, Ruth’s relationship with Tom starts to crumble under his potential infidelity and controlling nature. At the same time, Ruth becomes more obsessed with Jade, and the two begin an intense emotional relationship.

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Make Up stars Molly Windsor as Ruth, a young woman struggling to figure out her identity. Joseph Quinn, whose star continues to rise with Gladiator II and the upcoming Fantastic Four movie, plays Tom, the controlling boyfriend. Stefanie Martini rounds out the main cast as Jade. The movie marked the feature-length debut of director Claire Oakley, who also wrote the script. It premiered in 2019 at the BFI London Film Festival. Make Up had a limited box office showing but was, like many others, impacted by the pandemic and was only available for a short time.

The Critics Love ‘Make Up,’ but Audiences Were Not Impressed

Looking at Rotten Tomatoes, the divide between critics and the audience offers a stifling comparison. Currently, Make Up has a 98% fresh score with critics and a 26% on the Popcornmeter. This can be a bit deceptive as the audience score only has 50+ ratings and is not entirely representative of a broader audience. Still, looking at other movie aggregate sites, Make Up still falls short of the positive critical ratings, with IMDb standing at a moderate 5.9/10 and Letterboxd at 2.29/5.

Critics had many positive things to say about Claire Oakley’s debut film, including Robbie Collin of The Telegraph, who gave it a 5/5 and concluded his review by saying, “As poetically teasing as it is psychologically precise, Make Up signals the arrival of an exciting new talent.” Teo Bugbee of the New York Times also commended the film for its fresh approach to the coming-of-age genre, calling Make Up an “intriguing interpretation of adolescent discovery, one that uses horror to suggest the dread that comes with finding a sense of self.” Other critics praised the movie’s visual direction and use of visuals to convey the struggles of Ruth.

Where critics found reason to praise Make Up, the audience was undoubtedly more split in interpreting the work. Many viewers felt the movie was all style and no substance, whereas critics found its aesthetic approach more appealing. Moreover, branding the movie as a thriller and trying to create that tone within its style felt unnecessary and indulgent for a story with a straightforward narrative. Finally, some viewers expressed that the representation of the coming-of-age built on shame and confusion is a redundant trope that Make Up did not handle with any particular profundity. Still, among the viewers’ reviews, some echoed appreciation similar to the critics’.

Should You Watch ‘Make Up?’

Make Up is a movie aimed at pleasing critics with its focus on themes of identity and a bolstered emphasis on style. If you are a viewer who feels that your opinions often align with theirs, then the ‘thriller’ film is undoubtedly a worthy watch. Those who lean heavily into film aesthetics will also find Oakley’s approach an engaging take on the coming-of-age genre with how much the visual and audio play into crafting her vision. Despite the difference in critic and audience scores, there is certainly common ground to be found, and the movie won’t be a complete bust for those who can appreciate an attempt at a unique take on a familiar story. Fans of indie cinema, in particular, will be impressed by the visual story Claire Oakley was able to craft.

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At the same time, those approaching Make Up looking for a thriller or, as some have called it, horror will find that the movie lacks substance to appease fans of those genres. While Joseph Quinn continues to grow his career, from Stranger Things to the MCU, it should also be noted that the movie focuses entirely on Molly Windost’s Ruth and her struggles. For fans of Joseph Quinn, there is not much on offer; this is not to say he gives a bad performance, but rather, his character becomes relatively inconsequential. Thankfully, you can check out the film for yourself as Make Up is currently streaming on Prime Video, Peacock, Tubi, or Pluto TV. See Joseph Quinn in Gladiator II, which is in theaters now.

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