Danny Boyle's new film, "Ink," has garnered significant critical attention following its premiere at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival. The movie, which chronicles Rupert Murdoch's 1969 takeover of The Sun newspaper and the rise of tabloid journalism, has seen lead actor Jack O'Connell receive unanimous praise for his performance as editor Larry Lamb.
The film, inspired by James Graham's 2017 play, has been described by critics as "snazzy, gripping and thumpingly unsubtle." O'Connell's portrayal of Lamb has been widely characterized as "superb, muscular, pugnacious and terrifically bullish," with many outlets highlighting his performance.
Critics also noted the contributions of co-stars Claire Foy, who plays a fictional women's editor named Jules Davies, and Guy Pearce, who takes on the role of Rupert Murdoch. The Times described the performances as "uniformly strong," while Variety called O'Connell's performance "superb" and the film itself a "compelling yarn."
The Irish Times awarded the film four stars, describing it as a "rambunctious pageant on how the British media lost the last strand of its innocence," and noting O'Connell's effort to master Lamb's accent. The Guardian gave "Ink" three stars, with its reviewer calling O'Connell "excellent casting" and the film "lurid, violent and thumpingly unsubtle."
Other reviews were similarly positive. Loud And Clear gave the film four stars, praising O'Connell and Pearce as "phenomenal" and calling the movie a "gripping, exhilarating, appropriately bleak thriller."
However, one review from Discussing Film offered a less enthusiastic assessment, awarding one and a half stars and suggesting the film "lacks the discipline... to take sides and point fingers."
Director Danny Boyle commented on his approach to portraying Murdoch, stating he did not want to "monsterise" him. Boyle suggested that Murdoch represented a "breath of fresh air" at the time and faced prejudice as an Australian, also noting a shared "loathing for the British establishment."
O'Connell shared his preparation process, which included visiting the British Library to examine early editions of British newspapers. He expressed an interest in understanding the "what and why" of the period, speaking with journalists about their values rather than focusing on the "cost of what happens when you trade that for sales and sensationalism."
"Ink" is scheduled for release in cinemas on January 8, 2027.