I Came By (2022) User Reviews

Better than I'd expected.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 7/10 · 2 September 2022]

An unexpected surprise.

I have seen countless trailers for this, and if I'm honest, I was expecting something of a horror thriller, maybe something a little trashy, possibly a bit gory, the reality was something very different, a very meaningful, deep, character driven thriller.

I really did enjoy this, the relatively low score makes no sense to me, it's slick, well made, and quite an engrossing thriller. There are a few thrills and spills, perhaps not many as I'd hoped for, but there were enough to keep me entertained.

The acting was excellent all round, but two performances in particular really did stand out, unsurprisingly I'd highlight Kelly Macdonald and Hugh Bonneville, the pair were terrific.

Very nicely produced, it looked very nice, great use of lighting, and music that wasn't obtrusive at any point.

The ending was maybe a little too ambiguous, but it felt in keeping with the tone of the film. I'd have liked a few more jumps and scares.

Overall, I did enjoy that, 7/10.

Watchable, but could have been far better!

[Tobeshadow · 6/10 · 1 September 2022]

The protagonists were not particularly likeable and came across incredibly one dimensionally, leaving Hugh Bonneville little to do but chew the scenery. He gives a committed performance, but his character is ultimately lacking the flair or nuance to make it truly great.

Kelly Macdonald was solid as ever, but felt a bit wasted here and primarily there for the shock factor of killing her off mid-film. It was a shame she only got one scene with Bonneville, and while this was well done, it was far too short and should have been followed up with a stronger last act overall. The ending feels incredibly rushed and ruins any sense of suspense that has built up throughout the film. You aren't left thinking about the consequences of the story because it's all been tied up with a bow in two minutes and that jars against the dark tone seen earlier in the story.

I think there was real potential here to create a truly memorable modern serial killer film/performance, but this ultimately fell short.

Unpredictable till the very end

[ReelShahid · 7/10 · 9 September 2022]

All you fans of thriller genre, I say do not, I repeat, do not miss this thriller. It may seem like the usual break-in thrillers, but believe me this movie will take you by surprise.

Very realistic plot with solid performance by all the cast, specially the performances delivered by antagonist (Hugh Bonneville) and the mother (Kelly MacDonald) which makes this movie much more appealing than what was expected from it.

"I (luckily) Came By" this title on Netflix and I am really glad I did.

Indeed the best in thriller genre to have hit the screen in past couple of months!

If you are someone looking for an unexpected plot with all the elements of surprises with a touch of reality then this one is for you.

Not what I expected, but I enjoyed this.

[BenW1999 · 7/10 · 1 September 2022]

I did not do any research on this film or read any reviews so I thought this was going to be a political drama. After watching the 1st 15 to 20 minutes I then thought I was correct that there was a political drama but then the story took a turn and then it clearly became more of a thriller/horror.

I really like how this film kept you guessing and kept away from the simple cliches that many thrillers that fall into. This was good because it kept you guessing what was going to happen throughout the entire film.

My only couple of downsides were: The seemingly rushed ending, and the lack of motive for the main antagonist. The motive should've been explained properly. Decent film though.

Fresh storyline and unpredictable plot - deserves credit

[indiana1981 · 7/10 · 31 August 2022]

Had not heard of this movie, until my girlfriend found it on Netflix tonight. Really enjoyed this movie without knowing much about it!

It's a thriller which has a completely fresh storyline, which I don't think we've seen yet. The movie starts off following two working class graffiti artists, who break into rich peoples homes to vandalise them, to make a social statement. But one of them, breaks into a home, where the owner could possibly be a psycho.

As a thriller I think this movie has a lot of golden nuggets - unpredictable storyline, jump scares, good build up of tension and a decent level of interest in characters.

Some people might not like the ending, but personally, I think it's nice to watch a movie, where not everyone has a happy ending.

Overall, I think this is an excellent thriller, if you're not asking for too much. It does check a lot of boxes and I think 7/10 is worth the rating for the fresh storyline.

(I say fresh story, as a lot of thriller plots these days are usually along the lines of a demented ex, or demented husband, or a serial killer/police cat and mouse movie) and it's just nice to see something different!

Surprisingly Well-Acted

[albertval-69560 · 7/10 · 2 September 2022]

This is an honest-to-goodness thriller that keeps you on tenterhooks.

The script is tight, and while it careens to a somewhat expected ending , the way the story is woven engages the viewer. I thought, for a while, that Hector could go on doing his ghastly acts with impunity because he seems so cool and smart that authorities cannot lay a finger on him. That's how effective the plot is to me.

It's a remarkable cast of relatively newbees headlined by Hugh Bonneville and Kelly MacDonald. I like, in particular, how Hugh Bonneville is able to conceal his fiendishness behind a cloak of aristocratic air and respectability; Kelly MacDonald's Lizzy awakens the maternal instinct in the female viewer. She portrays her effectively as the harried, worried and ordinary mom who just wants her stubborn son to succeed; George MacKay as Toby, the son who's clueless as to what he really wants in life but has a natural affinity with those who are maltreated or abused; and finally Percelle Ascott as Jay, Toby's best buddy, a young father who's torn between his love for his young family and close ties with Lizzy and Toby.

All these characters come together to produce a coherent, socially relevant and no-nonsense film.

Watch to enjoy it.

Starts off interesting, builds well and then falls at the final hurdle

[craighmelbs · 6/10 · 31 August 2022]

It could have been soooo much better! I was hoping for a big finale, but it never arrived.

Great acting, the plot felt believable for the first two thirds and then the film became frustrating towards the final act.

This could have been a Silence of the Lambs for a new generation, minus the people munching elements. It just didn't take itself to the next level.

Was great to see Hugh playing a different character - although still a posh one - and Kelly played her part well.

It's worth a watch, but sadly makes you want to write your own ending.

I need to write more words as I'm getting an error to save my review is too short. However I really have nothing more to say !

Publish now please ?

What a ridiculous mess.....Don't waste your time

[ekwok888-725-796504 · 1/10 · 4 September 2022]

The writers were trying to have some kind of social commentary on the injustices between the rich and the poor. Unfortunately all they have done was to perpetuate this injustice by showing that the rich are smart and competent whereas the poor are bumbling idiots. The 2 protagonists, mother and son, were so infuriatingly stupid. They were not lured or kidnapped into the house, they actually broke into the house which had the element of surprise in their favor. But what were their plans? Have they brought some weapons or at least some tools to achieve their plans? Did they take some photos or evidence of the crimes so they can alert the authorities? No! All they did were flaying around, falling on their faces until they were caught and killed. What's the point of this debacle? Is this supposed to be a comedy? It's a total waste of the actors as there was no credible story, no credible motive and was just a total mess.

A bit of a surprise

[justahunch-70549 · 7/10 · 16 November 2022]

I only watched this because of George MacKay's picture being what Netflix was using for advertisement, but I can now only wonder why he signed on for such a small role. For a while during the earlier parts, I considered turning this off as it appeared that it was going to be some torture porn thing and I've had my fill of those, but it turns into something else and it's pretty good when all is said and done. The real star of this film is not MacKay by any means, but by veteran actor, Hugh Bonneville, who is is excellently awful in a wicked role. It ruins the film to describe too much, so let's just stick to the IMDB description, "Follows a young graffiti artist who discovers a shocking secret that would put him and the ones closest to him in danger" and you can learn that secret and those dangers by viewing this nasty little film. Also very good is Kelly Macdonald as MacKay's mother whose role here is more pivotal than that. This is not a pleasant film, but for those who like suspense films, you might want to take a look at this. Just don't watch it expecting to see a lot of MacKay.

So disappointing

[soelir · 5/10 · 31 August 2022]

At first I thought it was quite bad but I persisted. Then I perked up as I thought it had some potential. Then it dragged on for a bit (but I did get a jump scare in). Then it ended.

You can gloss over the inconsistencies about the British police, and I guess most of his victims were never going to be reported missing, but a social worker/psychologist going missing? Someone would have reported it.

Maybe it should have been a mini series, so the time jumps made a bit more sense and a few of the characters were fleshed out a bit more. I'd have liked to have seen more of Horrid Hugh. Then again, maybe we were saved a few hours.

Overall it was just a bit disappointing. I still watched it though, so I was entertained which is the point!

Solid Thriller...

[Jac23443 · 8/10 · 5 September 2022]

The ratings for this movie are very interesting, I don't understand the review bombing on here declaring the movie unwatchable. This is probably one of Netflix's strongest releases since they declared they would release a new movie each Friday. Every movie Netflix has released in the past year has been absolute garbage. This movie was very well made, the ending could have been a bit better, and I didn't like the killing of certain characters because I thought they were great! But this movie was solid, definitely rewatchable. I loved it!

If you have seen The Blue Ruin, Green Room, and enjoyed them, then you will most likely enjoy this movie because the leads are not unstoppable, invincible "know it all's", they know just enough to get to the point where they realize something is wrong but, in the end, they are all just human.

"He was old".

[FrancisHHooks · 7/10 · 11 September 2022]

Perfectly watchable Netflix time waster.

But.

There's a really odd bit of spectacularly lazy writing at one point.

Following the disappearance of a character's son (the son is 23), when questioned by the police about the whereabouts of his father, the mother (played by Kelly MacDonald, who is in her 40's), responds "oh he died years ago, he was old."

So he just died of natural causes then did he? More details please!

Because all I've got to work with here, with the information given, is the deeply unpleasant mental image of a teenage MacDonald doing the business with a man in his 70's or 80's! Perhaps this odd couple deserved a film of their own, surely this unlikely March to December romance was deserving a bit more scrutiny?!

Or maybe the writer was having a bit of a lazy day. "Got to figure out what happened the lad's dad. Hmm. Oh, I dunno. I'll just say he was old. That'll do."

Brilliant.

"He was old".

Wow. Has to be seen to be believed

[eddershredder · 1/10 · 31 August 2022]

Without spoiling this absolute drivel too much.

Every single victim in this film behaved completely oblivious and practically put themselves into as much danger as possible by sheer stupidity.

After the first clear example of this behaviour is witnessed you think you may give it the benefit of the doubt because it suits the plot etc. But it just keeps happening.

It makes me want to consider screenwriting as a profession as clearly there's not much competition in the remedial Netflix department.

It has to be seen to be believed. It's drivel. I can't believe it. How was this greenlighted. Why was any money out into this mess. How did they get Kelly McDonald and yer man from Downton to do this?

Solid film.

[seanpatrix-518-150814 · 7/10 · 1 September 2022]

Reading the reviews from the many, it seems people didn't like the film because they didn't like the characters. Particularly judging the victims. It paints the awful picture of our modern day society, still blaming the victims.

Not all films are fluffy and require 'smart' victims, which what many of the negative reviewers are basically saying. All the while missing the entire point of the film. Perhaps this films speaks to much to reality, or that it's too real for those negative reviewers?

The performances were solid. There were a few technical things that didn't make much sense in regards to security. Perhaps it was an amateur basic install?

It's an original script. Touching on several issues all at once. I felt it was quite clever.

It's not a happy film by any means. It's dark and quite sad.

While the ending wasn't very climatic persay, it was satisfying.

Well made thriller!

[singhlall · 7/10 · 19 September 2022]

This is a well made and intriguing thriller. A grafitti artis breaks into the wrong house which sets off a series of events. There are a lot of twists, turns and plot developments. It is a pacy film which is well directed and shot. The cast are all pretty good with the antagonist and protagonist all giving believable performance. Although this is a thriller, there are strong elements of horror and the suspense builds up well throughout the film. The film also touches on subjects such as class and race. The Judge is pretty good and a deviation from his usual roles in Paddington etc. I would definitely suggest a watch over similar genre films.

Not a great start but gets better

[kirstybee-46401 · 6/10 · 1 September 2022]

The start of the film was slow and although George Mackay did his best, he's a good actor, his character lacks depth and so isn't hugely likeable. Hugh Bonneville makes an excellent villain as to be expected. When the film gets going the 'jumps' work well and suspenseful moments are just that. I for one enjoyed the ending, it doesn't need explanation, just a little imagination. The script was not the best. When the police woman asks Percelle Ascott's character when he last saw Toby he says 'months ago' - what does that mean? 2months? 11?? The police never ask him to be more specific..really bugged me! Some of the direction is lazy or the director thinks we are stupid (there was no need to fixate on the road name sign when we already know what the house looks like and where we are). Weirdly though time moves very quickly in this film, yet there are no landmarks, ie a Christmas or maybe Toby's birthday. When you assume it's the next day it's actually 2 months later, which is weird. Overall once it gets going it's an enjoyable watch.

Not all bad

[Kingslaay · 6/10 · 13 September 2022]

Netflix has produced a better sort of film with I Came By. The strength of this film lies in its performances. Hugh Bonneville is terrifying and dangerous in this film. He easily transforms from the prim and proper characters he has played so well to a scary figure. The direction is not too bad. The scary music in key scenes and close ups and various camera angles sets a terrifying setting. We get this impression from the start of the film. I liked how the film was somewhat realistic as well. It would have been unrealistic and fan service to show all the main characters were alive in the end. If a person was in a situation with such a careful, paranoid and dangerous person, do you think they would be kept around? The film does not make that mistake and we see the main characters disappear because they were not prepared enough. I feel the storyline could have been stronger. Maybe there could have been a deeper motive for the retired Judge's behaviour? Why did they not explain his sociopathic tendencies for trapping and/or killing people? I feel they could have explained who the man he trapped was and why he was kept alive? These are just the gaps they could fleshed out to make a stronger thriller. Overall a captivating watch, I found it hard to put down and wanted to see how it ended. There was some form of justice but the realistic kind you could imagine in real life.

Incoherent story without a protagonist

[exetercavern · 4/10 · 1 September 2022]

This show is a bit of a mess really. It's a story without a clear protagonist.

To begin with it follows a really unlikeable 23 year old graffiti artist called Toby who's tag is 'I Came By'.

He acts like a disaffected teenager, vandalising rich peoples houses to some how get back at the system. He lives with his Social Worker mother who he's angry with because she won't yet give him the inheritance his father left him. Toby is an unsympathetic character who needs to grow up (and lose the annoying London/Jamaican Ali G accent while he's doing it).

After Toby breaks into a serial killer's house he's murdered, and his ashes are flushed down the toilet. At this point I was firmly on the side of the killer.

His mother picks up the role of protagonist, and begins following the serial killer (who happens to be an influential ex-judge.) Then she's killed and probably follows Toby down the toilet.

In the last 20 minutes Toby's best mate breaks into the serial killer's house and knocks the guy out, leaving him gaffa-taped for the police to arrest. He leaves the tag 'I Came By' on the wall. The arresting officer looks down at the killer smugly, but she's going to have a hard time getting a conviction because all the victims have long ago been flushed away!

There are references to immigrants and their distrust of the police, and a couple of characters who don't want to let down their hard working asian parents. Very cliched. Their connection to the story is tenuous... and seems to be trying to convey themes of how difficult it is to be a person of colour in modern Britain.

Great photography, but the story is pretty incoherent.

Worth Your Time

[pjcguy-963-677261 · 7/10 · 13 December 2022]

You have to forgive some things, particularly TIME. It passes with little help from the director. We have to fill in the gaps based on scenes that are at times confusing, but if you stick with it and watch until the end, you are rewarded with at least a small piece of candy. There was a point near the end when I could see the plot's going in a different direction, and the pessimist in me would have accepted that (That the judge ended up successful), but the director went in the traditional direction, and that was good too--for the optimist in me. Overall, this is a good movie, but it could have been good still if the hero had not had to lose his family to boot, but then I guess we have to ASSume that his wife took him back.

Don't Bother

[nigelmacdonald-97173 · 2/10 · 24 September 2022]

A low budget and no brain Don't Breathe rip off. Yet another film that relies on characters being incredibly stupid to keep the story going. They make such poor decisions that you end up not caring what happens to them. It also drags a lot with pointless filler and there's nothing much to recommend other than to see Bonnevilles creepy performance. Even his character does the most ridiculous things that make very little sense and defy logic. With a little more thought and better writing this could have been a half decent thriller, but if you have no investment in any of the characters it just falls flat.

What Walt's Watching

[waltermwilliams · 8/10 · 5 September 2022]

This is not the Hugh Bonneville you know and love from "Downton Abbey" and "Paddington".

This time in the Horror, Thriller, Mystery "I Came By" here comes the Judge you don't want to mess with.

Actors often told me in interviews that playing a Bad Guy is so much more fun.

Two Graffiti Writers (not Artists let's be clear about this) choose the wrong house to vandalise.

Kelly McDonald plays the role of the widowed mum of tagger Toby" (George McKay) who is a totally unlikeable, lazy, self-obsessed dickhead.

His mate is more sensible and responsible and can actually hold down a day job...one that literally opens doors for them.

Claret will be spilled, however it's more about the body count than the graphic violence, which is mostly offscreen.

This doesn't make "I Came By" any less powerful, just slightly easier to watch.

If you're looking for a Torture film keep walking there's nothing to see here.

On the other hand if you want a great storyline performed by talented actors then sit back, relax and enjoy the view on #Netflix.

Still not for the faint hearted.

Two thumbs up from me.

Enjoyed it

[skyforestsong · 7/10 · 22 December 2022]

I HATED the character we have to follow in the beginning of the movie. I honestly was hoping Toby would get killed. Sorry. He struck me as a spoiled brat who cared about no one but himself. That whole scene with him and his best friend and him basically saying what he wants is more important than the other guy's woman and baby plus the last scene with his mom made me wish I could punch him in the face real hard. Anyway, I found the movie enjoyable other than that. The villain of the movie is this creepy old man which has obviously has skeletons in his closet. Actor does a fantastic job at portraying this character. The ending for me was a head scratcher cause I honestly was expecting more. Not sure what I was expecting, just more.

Too many problems

[nathanmanson · 4/10 · 2 September 2022]

First of all how bad of a friend was that guy, leaving his boy in the dust like that. I find it hard to wrap my head around the decision to have the only person to get saved the guy who doesn't even have a line in the movie. Yet the mother and son with the most screen time don't make it. Just a weird decision If you ask me. You think you'd have atleast one of them survive.

I also cannot believe he snuck up on someone with a cricket bat and still missed. Then he just wakes up and starts fighting like Bruce Lee, okay whatever floats your boat. I also find it hard to believe the guy with a messed up ankle found the time to perfectly spray paint 'I came by' on the wall. Like it's done with perfection, like come one where's the realism.

The only positive I'd say is the judge was actually a creepy man so well done to him and it somewhat kept my interested. However the only reason it kept me interested was the fact I was wondering which one of them was gonna survive but the answer was neither of them. So all in all a waste of time honestly.

Fairly depressing

[supatube · 7/10 · 27 September 2022]

It starts off pretty quick and the pace allows the events to pounce out fairly unexpectedly and that kinda circumventing one's expectations does persist throughout the film. Unfortunately it lets out too much steam by the end by doing this that I didn't even care about the resolution. Perhaps a lack of resolution would have been more dreadfully stark instead of hopelessly depressing?

I can't fault the production value or even the entertainment value, it was worth the watch. I just probably won't ever watch this movie again.

Creepy, a little tense at times and sad. Did I mention how depressingly sad the story was to sit through...? Well it bears repeating.

A good suspense

[niseynisey · 7/10 · 3 September 2022]

This was a proper suspense flick and definitely kept a rumble in my tum trying to figure out what would happen next. I do agree with some that say for some reason, some the scenes don't hit you as they should emotionally but I still think this deserves a watch. Definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.

This was a proper suspense flick and definitely kept a rumble in my tum trying to figure out what would happen next. I do agree with some that say for some reason, some the scenes don't hit you as they should emotionally but I still think this deserves a watch. Definitely kept me on the edge of my seat.