Detainment Review: Story, Cast, Rating & Final Verdict
Last updated: April 11, 2026
Movie Overview: Detainment
| Movie | Detainment |
| Release Year | 2018 |
| Director | Vincent Lambe |
| Genre | Drama / Crime / Documentary |
| Runtime | 30 minutes |
| Language | EN |
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is Detainment (2018) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a HIT with a verified audience rating of 6.7/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Drama.
Cast & Character Study
The performances in Detainment are led by Ely Solan . The supporting cast, including Leon Hughes and Will O'Connell , provides the necessary layers to the central narrative.
movieMx Verdict: Is it Worth Your Time?
What Works in the Movie
Detainment stands out as a strong entry in the Drama genre. The film benefits from engaging storytelling, memorable performances, and solid production values that help keep viewers invested.
- Compelling performances from the main cast
- Strong visual storytelling and direction
- Well-structured Drama narrative
- Satisfying emotional or dramatic payoff
What Doesn't Work
Despite its strengths, Detainment has a few issues that may affect the overall viewing experience, particularly in terms of pacing and narrative consistency.
- Uneven pacing in certain parts of the film
- Some predictable plot developments
- May not appeal to audiences outside the Drama fanbase
Story & Plot Summary: Detainment
Quick Plot Summary: Released in 2018, Detainment is a Drama, Crime, Documentary film directed by Vincent Lambe. The narrative explores complex human emotions and relationships through detailed character development. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict involving Ely Solan.
Ending Explained: Detainment
Detainment Ending Explained: Directed by Vincent Lambe, Detainment wraps up the main storyline while leaving some interpretation to viewers. The ending highlights the core drama themes developed throughout the film.
The emotional resolution focuses on the transformation of its main characters, particularly in scenes involving Ely Solan. The interpretation of the ending may vary among viewers.
Key Elements of the Ending
- Narrative Resolution: The story resolves its primary conflict while leaving room for interpretation.
- Character Development: Character motivations become clearer by the final scenes.
- Thematic Message: The ending reinforces the drama themes introduced earlier in the film.
The final moments of Detainment reflect the creative choices of the filmmakers and align with the tone of the narrative.
Detainment Real vs. Reel: Is it Based on a True Story?
Is Detainment Based on a True Story?
Detainment draws from real criminal cases and investigative records. As a drama, crime, documentary film directed by Vincent Lambe, the production explores how real events can be adapted into a dramatic narrative.
Real Story vs Movie Version
The film takes creative liberties to strengthen its narrative. Certain scenes are likely dramatized to enhance emotional impact.
While inspired by real events, the narrative focuses more on storytelling than strict historical accuracy.
Accuracy Assessment: Detainment uses real-life inspiration as the foundation for a dramatized narrative. The film prioritizes thematic storytelling over strict documentary accuracy.
Who Should Watch Detainment?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Drama films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of Ely Solan or the director
- Want a character-driven story with emotional moments
Top Cast: Detainment
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Where to Watch Detainment Online?
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Amazon VideoDetainment Parents Guide & Age Rating
2018 AdvisoryWondering about Detainment age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of Detainment is 30 minutes (30m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 6.7/10, and global performance metrics, Detainment is classified as a HIT. It remains an essential part of the 2018 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Detainment worth watching?
Detainment is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Drama movies. It has a verified rating of 6.7/10 and stands as a HIT in our box office analysis.
Where can I find Detainment parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for Detainment identifies it as NR. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of Detainment?
The total duration of Detainment is 30 minutes, which is approximately 0h 30m long.
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Critic Reviews for Detainment
There are two really impressive and emotionally-charged performances from Ely Solan and Leon Hughes here but the rest of the feature seems uncomfortably prurient. It was huge news in the UK in 1993 when toddler James Bulger was abducted and murdered by two older children, so this dramatisation is bound to touch nerves as it uses selected transcripts from their police interviews to map out just what happened on that day. These events took place long before there was CCTV everywhere so piecing things together requires not just their increasingly panic-stricken and upsetting statements, but also observations of their encounters with other citizens concerned that this youngster appeared to be in distress, but who were unable to directly intervene in what ultimately became a tragedy. My problem here is that I wasn’t quite sure what the purpose of this was. It’s not exactly a police reconstruction, but it doesn’t really offer us much by way of contextualisation either. Making this a quarter of a century later offered filmmaker Vincent Lambe a chance to try to incorporate some sort of psychological profile of the two lads. Something that might have explained or even mitigated their behaviour. Who were they? What do we now know about their upbringing or what might have motivated this behaviour? They were, after all, barely ten years old themselves so could they even distinguish between right and wrong, or comprehend the consequences of their violence? It is an interesting concept, but focuses too closely, and incompletely, on just one very dramatic thread.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.










