Skip to main content
Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Best Netflix Movies
  • Movie Release Dates
  • Best movies on Disney Plus
  • Best Netflix Shows
Don't miss these
Baraka in Mortal Kombat 2
Action Movies Mortal Kombat 2 review: “Lands some killer blows, but far from a flawless victory”
Monoco readies for battle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
RPGs Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 actor was "nervous" for Metacritic score after appearing in Gollum game
Mixtape screenshot featuring the three main characters pushing a shopping cart while being chased
Adventure Games Mixtape review: "A nostalgic, vibes-based experience set to a shockingly solid soundtrack"
Mortal Kombat 2
Action Movies Mortal Kombat 2 producer launches a bizarre attack over negative reviews despite its 74% Rotten Tomatoes score
Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace in Project Hail Mary
Sci-Fi Movies Project Hail Mary review: "Large scale sci-fi with tons of heart"
Stranger Things: Tales From '85
Sci-Fi Shows Stranger Things: Tales From '85 review: "Makes you nostalgic for the early days of Stranger Things"
Mario riding Yoshi through space with Luigi and Peach flying along beside him
Animated Movies The Super Mario Galaxy Movie review: "Never quite reaches Galaxy's gravity-defying game heights"
Adam Scott as Ohm in Hokum
Horror Movies 5 horror movies made by comedy stars to watch after Adam Scott's new scary flick Hokum
Karl Urban as Johnny Cage is ready to fight in the Mortal Kombat 2 trailer
Action Movies Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon says his feedback on a Johnny Cage sequel fight was "dead wrong"
Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff and Margot Robbie as Catherine Earnshaw in Wuthering Heights
Drama Movies Emerald Fennell’s controversial take on “Wuthering Heights” starts streaming on HBO Max this weekend
A crop of the Windrose key art showing two pirates in front of a montage of ships, posing with guns
Survival Games Windrose is a pretty good karaoke cover of Assassin's Creed: Black Flag with a survival twist
Adam Scott as Ohm in Hokum
Horror Movies Director of haunted hotel horror Hokum says he actively had to avoid being influenced by The Shining
Thor: Love and Thunder
Marvel Movies Even Chris Hemsworth thinks that they "took the piss" with how goofy Thor: Love and Thunder was
Samara Weaving and Jason Segel in Over Your Dead Body
Action Movies Over Your Dead Body is an ultra-violent, surprisingly heartwarming gorefest
Crimson Desert screenshot of Kliff cooking with a frying pan, with an orange On the Radar overlay
RPGs Crimson Desert is a questionable RPG but an excellent medieval life sim, and I fed Kliff bugs for 5 hours to prove it
  1. Entertainment
  2. Movies
  3. Comedy Movies

Killing Bono review

Growing up in the shadow of an Irish rock legend...

Reviews
By Neil Smith published 23 March 2011

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Music writer Neil McCormick’s wry memoir about growing up in former schoolmate Bono’s shadow reaches the screen with some of its charm intact.

Sadly, it also comes with preposterous embellishments – a criminal subplot here, an assassination attempt there – and a lily-livered eagerness to depict Bono as the nicest singer ever to walk the earth.

Ben Barnes (aka Prince Caspian) brings gusto and a plausible Irish brogue to McCormick’s alter-ego, a hapless rock wannabe who embroils his brother (Robert Sheehan) in an ill-starred quest to rival U2.

Like the late Pete Postlethwaite’s cameo (his final screen credit), alas, the messy, patchy and overlong result elicits more rueful sadness than side-splitting hilarity.

Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter

Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Freelance Writer

Neil Smith is a freelance film critic and writer who contributes regularly to Heat, SFX and Screen International. He's a long-time member of the London Film Critics’ Circle and was a contributing editor at Total Film for many years.

Read more
Glen Powell as Beckett Redfellow in How to Make a Killing
Drama Movies Glen Powell's new crime thriller movie How to Make a Killing debuts to disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score
 
 
Glen Powell as Becket in How to Make a Killing
Comedy Movies How to Make a Killing is Glen Powell's latest mid-budget movie, and I hope he never stops making them
 
 
Bill Skarsgård as Tony Kiritsis and Dacre Montgomery as Richard Hall in Dead Man's Wire
Thriller Movies Bill Skarsgård plays a scorned kidnapper in Dead Man's Wire, a surprisingly funny crime thriller
 
 
Georgina Campbell as Jane in Psycho Killer
Horror Movies Barbarian star's new slasher horror called "abysmally dull" and "a nothing burger of a movie" in scathing first reviews
 
 
Samara Weaving and Jason Segel in Over Your Dead Body
Action Movies Over Your Dead Body is an ultra-violent, surprisingly heartwarming gorefest
 
 
Karl Urban as Captain Connor in The Bluff
Action Movies The Boys star's new swashbuckling actioner compared to Pirates of the Caribbean in mixed-positive first reviews
 
 
Latest in Comedy Movies
Hugh Jackman petting a sheep in new movie The Sheep Detectives
Comedy Movies Wolverine star Hugh Jackman breaks his Rotten Tomatoes record… with a talking sheep movie
 
 
Keanu Reeves as Reef Hawk in Outcome
Comedy Movies Keanu Reeves' new movie debuts to 27% on Rotten Tomatoes as critics call it "a fascinating mess"
 
 
Johnny Pemberton as Doug in Mermaid
Comedy Movies Fallout star's new mermaid horror-comedy with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score is an eerie, endearing must-watch
 
 
Coyote vs. ACME trailer
Comedy Movies Wile E. Coyote goes to court in first trailer for the movie Warner Bros. shelved for a tax write-off
 
 
Glen Powell as Becket in How to Make a Killing
Comedy Movies How to Make a Killing is Glen Powell's latest mid-budget movie, and I hope he never stops making them
 
 
Community
Comedy Movies Community movie got "very close" to filming, but one star's schedule caused a delay
 
 
Latest in Reviews
Mixtape screenshot featuring the three main characters pushing a shopping cart while being chased
Adventure Games Mixtape review: "A nostalgic, vibes-based experience set to a shockingly solid soundtrack"
 
 
Baraka in Mortal Kombat 2
Action Movies Mortal Kombat 2 review: “Lands some killer blows, but far from a flawless victory”
 
 
BenQ Mobiuz EX271UZ monitor on desk with purple CatchyOS wallpaper on screen.
TVs & Monitors The BenQ Mobiuz EX271UZ is a solid OLED monitor that's missing a few tricks for the price
 
 
Hand holding Gulikit Elves 2 Pro controller with Sony Trinitron CRT TV and Sega Mega Drive in backdrop with Alex Kidd in Miracle World title on screen.
Retro Gulikit Elves 2 Pro review
 
 
Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) (75446)
Toys & Collectibles Lego Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) #75446 review: "Captures the true essence of our little green hero"
 
 
A Quoted Tech Horizon Custom gaming PC inside a MSI Pano chassis
Desktop PCs Quoted Tech Horizon Custom gaming PC review
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 peasants drinking at a table
    1
    Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lead designer says "friction is intentionally" in the RPG because when "you overcome the friction, you feel better about yourself"
  2. 2
    Mortal Kombat 2 ending explained: who fights, who dies and every fatality
  3. 3
    After 3 years of work, GTA 4 dev's sandbox game hits Steam as he has to tell people it's "completely different" from Minecraft: "For starters, no Steve"
  4. 4
    Paranormal Activity game dead after Paramount refuses to give legendary Mortuary Assistant dev more time to make it "the best it could possibly be"
  5. 5
    Old School RuneScape players riot as YouTuber's account is reset hours after finishing ridiculous 3-month grind, but Jagex has receipts

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...