Get On Up

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2:42

Get On Up

PG-13

2014

2h 18m

Biography

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

167 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

James Brown was born in extreme poverty in 1933 South Carolina and survived abandonment, abuse and jail to become one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He joined a gospel group as a teenager, but the jazz and blues along the "chitlin' circuit" became his springboard to fame. Although his backup musicians came and went, Brown retained the ability to mesmerize audiences with his music, signature moves and sexual energy.

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Critics Consensus

With an unforgettable Chadwick Boseman in the starring role, Get On Up offers the Godfather of Soul a fittingly dynamic homage.

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Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Mar 21, 2017

Warts and all, in fits and starts, finally the Hardest Working Man in Show Business gets his story told.

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

Nov 23, 2014

4/5

Magically, unexpectedly, most funkily, Get on Up feels fresh and crisp as the Godfather of Soul's keenest moves.

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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

Nov 23, 2014

4/5

It's stirring scattershot stuff, made with a fine eye for period detail and an evident passion for the music, which remains the driving force throughout.

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Matt Oakes

Silver Screen Riot

Oct 15, 2026

C+

You can move a million miles a minute but what's all that fancy footwork worth if you don't have anyone to share it with at the end of the day?

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Toussaint Egan

Polygon

Oct 22, 2021

Get on Up is a thoroughly entertaining drama with Boseman shining at its center.

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Alex Behan

The Post NZ

Jun 10, 2021

As a biography, it glosses over a lot, but goes to the heart of Brown's charisma, his music and the trauma that drove the iconic performer to such high highs and low lows.

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Cluedo T

@TheCluedo Jun 27, 2026

greatly enjoyed the story of james brown, chadwick boseman did an incredible job as a actor

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Meri S.

@mschroeder May 18, 2026

Amazing portrayal of James brown. Casting was perfection. Length could have been minimized and choppy with the storyline. But overall good movie. Viola and Octavia are gems.

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thiago S

@Thiagostone Mar 9, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Tyler S

@tylerking24 Jan 21, 2026

For some reason, this movie just looked really really good. Also, Chadwick nailed it. On the flip side, I felt like it lacked consistency and a bit of substance, For this being nearly 2.5 hours, it felt slow. Also, the constant time jumps made it a little hard to follow along.

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donnie m

@RT64375194 Dec 14, 2025

i Loved this movie and the last scene when he sang Try Me-i was crying and had 'good chills' all over-i've got them wile typing this because that feeling came back

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Chase J

@chasez Aug 23, 2025

Despite a few film gaffs, Chadwick Boseman inspires and perspires as the electric Godfather of Soul, telling his great story that deserves eminence in 20th Century Americana music.

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Tate Taylor

Director

Chadwick Boseman

James Brown

Nelsan Ellis

Bobby Byrd

Dan Aykroyd

Ben Bart

Viola Davis

Susie Brown

Lennie James

Joe Brown

Get on Up: Official Clip - We're Together or We Ain't

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Get on Up: Official Clip - Soul Power

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Get on Up: Official Clip - Papa Don't Take No Mess

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Get on Up: Official Clip - A Brand New Bag

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Get on Up: Official Clip - The Night Train

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Get on Up: Official Clip - James Brown and His Famous Flames

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Get on Up: Official Clip - The Battle Royale

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Get on Up: Official Clip - It Don't Move, It Don't Move Nobody

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Get on Up: Official Clip - Welcome to America

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Get on Up: Official Clip - Settle Down Captain

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Get on Up: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

James Brown was born in extreme poverty in 1933 South Carolina and survived abandonment, abuse and jail to become one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. He joined a gospel group as a teenager, but the jazz and blues along the "chitlin' circuit" became his springboard to fame. Although his backup musicians came and went, Brown retained the ability to mesmerize audiences with his music, signature moves and sexual energy.

Director: Tate Taylor
Producer: Brian Grazer, Mick Jagger, Victoria Pearman, Erica Huggins
Screenwriter: John-Henry Butterworth
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Jagged Films, Brian Grazer
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Drug Use|Some Strong Language|Violent Situations)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 1, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 9, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $30.5M
Runtime: 2h 18m
Sound Mix: Datasat, Dolby Digital

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