User reviews

Time remains undefeated. Death is stalking the series now. It's the uncredited cast member haunting everyone from this point on. Michael Apted remains the director but I don't know for how long. He stays off camera to my disappointment. Some members are battling illnesses. Work is winding down or even gone. Most are happy to talk about their kids and grandkids. A few speak about Brexit. Neil is not fully open about his trouble marriage and I can understand why. Tony's cab business has been heavily damaged by Uber and he has retreated from his Spanish dreams. I wonder if Lynn's family gets their own section in the next one. Does this continue beyond death? More and more, I wonder about mortality in general and the mortality of this series.

For half a decade, people have been astonished at Richard Linklater's BOYHOOD, a movie shot over the course of more than a decade, using the same cast.... as if Michael Apted had not been doing the same thing as a documentary for more than half a century since, as a researcher at ITV, he had been a part of the landmark SEVEN UP (1964) and ever since writer, interviewer, director and occasionally the object of his subjects' scorn for his old-fashioned attitudes.

The first one took the quote "Give me a child for seven years, and I will show you the man" and offered to check in every seven years to review the result. Now, as the subjects face retirement, one has died, and others are looking forward to the endings of their lives, they are called on for review. Is that seven-year-old still with them? What have they learned from the 'program' and is it of any value? Is the class system so evident a lifetime ago still in place? How do they feel about Brexit?

I think the series has been a remarkable achievement, and as a survey of the Baby Boomers, fascinating. It's a pleasure and an education to watch these people show up, grow up, and become, slowly and eventually, themselves, typical and unique.

Apted has called the situation for 70 UP (2026?) "fluid". He himself will be 85 if it comes out, along with many death notices for such of the original subjects that yet survive. It's possible, I suppose, but I'm a couple of years older than these people, and there is, therefore, some doubt I will be around to hear from my old friends from Britain. I wish them all well. They have not been easy friends, but they have been far more honest about who they are than most people I know.... or me.

Each time a new instalment arrives, my admiration and respect for the participants grows. They show a real and courageous dedication to the series and its importance, and I'm always mindful that the effects from this level of exposure have not always been positive for them.

Michael Apted has, at times, been guilty of some insensitive and perhaps inappropriate questioning, and has been taken to task quite robustly by his interviewees. And rightly so. It's academic now as to whether or not Mr Apted, a very successful international film director, has actually possessed the empathy to make him the right person to steer this project. But then, without some of his deliberate provocations, would there have been the great, intense moments we've seen? The result, for better or worse, is a sum of all its parts.

It's been a real privilege to visit these old friends every seven years, and share their lives' success, failures, loves and tragedies. In a world full of celebrity for its own sake and superficiality, there is an authenticity here that is rarely found. They deserve our thanks for sharing part of themselves with us. They certainly have mine.

As I watched 63 Up on Britbox, I recalled hearing about it many years ago. I am pleased that I watched it and even more so because I did some reasearch on the series. As a matter of fact, for several days afterwards, I couldn't get away from reading more about it and the people who participated in it...how they started out as part of this lifelong series and how their lives have changed. I give them full credit for sharing their lives and wonder if the creators of the series ever realized how historic and ground breaking the project would be.

The show is absolutely mesmerizing. I feel a certain chill, knowing these people are younger that I am and I am reading about how their lives are slowly drawing to a close. Also there is a real possibility that this great series may have reached the end, particularly now that the director Michael Apted has recently died. I certainly hope that it does continue but it is up to the participants to decide. If it doesn't, it is still a tremendous achievement. I was particularly struck by one of them who, after a very successful life, revealed that he is now facing a potentially terminal illness. Another of the participants talked about his regret at not having a father figure to look up to and now is a very happy and fulfilled human being with something like eight children. Very exceptional for a baby boomer who lived in the same time frame as the others in the series.

It is very moving in the sense that it provides documented evidence of the changes a group of human beings go through as they age, not only physically but in their personal experience. It is understandable that there would be criticisms of the director and some of the questions he asked. We all have personal limitations and certain biases and my sense is that Michael Apted deserves full credit for staying with the project for so long. The film deserves a place in the history of film making and I sincerely hope the time will come when it is so recognized.

The 9th episode of an epic documentary series that I really think everyone should watch at some point in their lives. It is so powerful with its simplicity honesty that anyone can easily find something relevant to them. Witnessing how people change over the years but also how they don't change, understanding the importance of our early years and how they shape our future, the goals that we want to achieve in life and the ones we fail to achieve. It's all here.

A group of people from different backgrounds who were born in 1957 are interviewed every 7 years. (p.s. need to start from first one "Seven Up")

The graying and mortality of the Up family takes center stage in the ninth installment of this incredible landmark series. One member has passed away and another is gravely ill as children and grandchildren dot the reunions and monopolize conversation and concern. Retired or nearing it they all show little to no regret in most cases with all for the most part satisfied with the way things have turned out this far along. There have been disappointments and setbacks but hope springs eternal in all as they look to the future well aware they are past their peak but still have something to offer and look forward to.

I adopted these distant relatives decades back and always look forward to the reunions where I get to catch up with them. It has been interesting watching them grow and mature over time as I have aged with them. Holding up a mirror to my face, mulling over the same questions director Michael Apted poses to them and their responses it remains a cinematic experience like no other for me. Hopefully I'll be around with the rest of them for the next chapter.

In 1964, the short film "Seven Up!" appeared on British television. Its focus was on fourteen seven-year old children of different class backgrounds expressing their aspirations in life. Every seven years, a sequel was made re-interviewing the subjects as they expressed their current (at the time) life situations, concerns, and again, their outlooks for the future. "63 Up" focuses on most of the original fourteen post-middle age.

This film is part of a superb periodic series which uses great editing from its prequels to show the passage of time. The current film has special relevance as it is at the time of life when mortality is rearing its head.

Most of the subjects have lead rather conventional lives but there are a few exceptions particularly a man (Neil) who had great difficulties in his twenties and has had fascinating, unpredictable changes since then.

"63 Up" not only covers changes in the lives of the subjects but occasionally the changes in the world itself or at least in the UK. This includes discussions of the subjects' adult children who will likely face financial difficulties compared to their own prosperity as baby-boomers. In some ways, there could have been more talk on such worldly changes although Tony, a taxi driver, is blunt in describing how the rise of Uber has affected his livelihood.

The rare time an interviewee is asked about Brexit, it was always a man. There are only a handful of women (four out of the fourteen) interviewed and the omission of asking them questions on the state of the world reflects an attitude in earlier clips when as girls or young women, they were asked only about ideals of boyfriends, husbands, and children. Thankfully, an older clip is included in which one of the gals confronts the interviewer/director (Michael Apted) on this - and quite strongly, too.

While many of the stories have much in common and occasionally seem ordinary, it is still easy to care for these people after all these years. - dbamateurcritic

First, let's address the flaws of the program. The series explores the class system in England and how it determines the opportunities afforded each child. Each series begins with the quote "Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man." Finally, the attitude of the filmmakers toward women is evident, especially in the earliest episodes. The subjects also complain of the superficiality of the series, constrained to half-hour segments on each person every 7 years.

True enough. Yet the series is mesmerizing for revealing changing attitudes and circumstances and how individuals cope with all the struggles we encounter as we age. Career advancement, relationship struggles, financial issues, health and death are glimpsed through the camera lens. Just to see the bright-eyed children at 7 and to see, even superficially, how each individual creates and lives a life reveals something of an era and themselves. The participants are subjected to the most intimate and sometimes mundane questions. Yet, for the most part, they continue to participate and kudos to them. I hope it gives them a chance to reflect and some perspective. I wonder if you would recognize the 7 year old I once was with the mature adult I am now.

I was really looking forward to seeing this latest installment. I finally got to see all of it through dubious means as there was no legitimate way to view it, and when I finished it I felt a bit of a let down. I'm 11 years older than the group, having just turned 74, and have watched these installments from the first one to the present. I felt this was the least interesting of the entire series.

Here's a few thoughts I came away with. 1. People are pretty much the same. They all got pretty much in life what they sought and are basically who they have always been. Whether they ride a bicycle or a Rolls Royce, they all have adapted to their circumstances and probably all have similar amounts of satisfaction with their lives. 2 Their lives were quite ordinary regardless of class or money. They all found their niche and partners that suited them. 3. Their lives are all winding down. Their days of creating their lives and careers and families are pretty much over, they are now on the way out, making room for the next generations. 4. There were no big surprises in this episode. Their lives mirror the lives of so many people I know and have known. 5. The child is most definitely the father of the man. I was just commenting the other day that I am basically the same person as I was at 5 years old. The blueprint was there and never really changed. The same seems true for all the participants in the series.

63 UP (Michael Apted, 2019). In limited release.

The world's greatest ever cinema experiment enters with it's latest installment - 56+ years in the making. At this point, the films are far removed from being stand-alone projects.One must have seen a few of the previous episodes (spaced 7 years apart since 1964) in order to fully appreciate the marvelous work Michael Apted and his team have achieved. And, now, as the group (originally 14 children) have broached the 60 year threshold, the mortality factor has certainly become the overwhelming obstacle to the series continuing. The first of the 14 has already passed on, another is very ill, and two more participants declined being interviewed (one for the very first time; the second (Charles) left in the late-70s/early 80s). Still, as melancholy a Doc as 63 UP is, it's still a fine piece of work. I began watching the series with 1984's 28 UP, and haven't missed one since (I've also caught up with 2 of the 3 other entries recently). So, to see the remaining eleven men and women is like catching up with old friends. American viewers are used to 'reality show' celebrities now, but, keep in mind, this group have been major celebrities in England for much of the past five decades. Tony, the ex-cabbie even relates a story of a passenger asking for his autograph when they were all in the company of Buzz Aldrin - the 2nd man to walk on the moon! Filmmaker Michael Apted (COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER, WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH) is now 78. Apted was a researcher on the original film (now dubbed 7 UP), and has directed all the subsequent films (he told me he had a contingency plan in place in case he wasn't able to finish future episodes). See you in seven years. On to 70 UP

I watched this the 1st time that it came up and then watched it again. I find it fascinating to see what happened to each of the children( now adults) taking part? Did they manage to fulfil their dreams? Were they dealt a bad deck of cards? How did they cope with life's obstacles? It would be interesting to do a film on how they are coping during lockdown. I hope they do another film of when they are 70.

I'm a Brit who has followed this series all my life (I'm their age) and am so disappointed that the published release date is meaningless if I can't see it. You'd think they could have figured out a way to make it available in pay per view SOMEWHERE

I've seen one or the other instalment of the series on film sites over and over again, and I kept putting off watching it. It was hard to imagine how this could be really interesting. But I was rather wrong. It was a fascinating watch. I'm sure it would've been very different to see it in "real time", watching it as one is getting older along with the participants. But it was also great to watch it all in one go.

The series has several flaws, but they are all understandable. It was an idea that was being developed on the go. The biggest problem with it is the extensive amount of repeats from previous episodes, but then again, in their own time that was probably absolutely necessary, since the average viewer would've seen them with several years between them, without any chance of rewatching the previous ones. And of course the selection of participants could've been a lot more diverse, but it wasn't originally planned to be what it eventually became, so probably not a whole lot of thought was given to the selection.

However with all the flaws it's still a glorious, unique, very engaging programme. One quickly becomes attached to the participants, and feels interested in their lives, even if most of them led very ordinary ones. Or maybe exactly because of that. Each episode is very thought provoking, and makes the viewers want to have conversations about a number of subjects. The filmmakers don't really draw any conclusions, offer a lot of wisdom or anything like that, just show glimpses of a few random people's lives, forcing us to look at ours.

All along it felt like a privilege to watch these handful of children grow into adults and eventually reaching retirement age. When watched in the space of a full days, it felt like time travelling. It felt special. I for one felt very grateful for the filmmakers, and especially the participants who stuck with the project even though they did not like it at all, and in some occasions it was incredibly disruptive or inconvenient for their lives.

I loved this series when I discovered it a few years ago.

I was born in 1960, so just about the same age as the cast. For many, watching the show every 7 years and aging along with the cast is different to someone who binges the show and sees all 8-9 installments over a few weeks. The effects are different. Unlike the anticipation of re-visiting old-friends every 7 years, and comparing notes, as to how things have been going, when you watch it all in a matter of weeks, you see the 50 years of life go by, and it kind of freaks you out! You feel like life has gone by so fast and suddenly we are old. We know it isn't quite like that, but the feeling is there. It brings on a real sense of sadness in many ways. The idea of this series is groundbreaking and took a tremendous commitment from the cast and crew and the director Michael Apted, who sadly passed in 2021.

I am sure we want to revisit the cast that is left, but as they all are approaching their senior years, some may not want others to see them, especially if they are struggling with health issues. My point about how the internet has changed the world and social media, is that millions upon millions of kids post up every dy about the lives they lead and over the years they can look back at themselves and see a similar story about growing up and older. I have been on Facebook and posting my life since 2008, and often catch myself looking back. I only wish I could have done this from my earlier years but of course the technology wasn't around. I can only imagine someone doing this now, from single digits into their teens, through adulthood, into middle age, and beyond.

It would have been interesting if Mr Apted decided to include a child from the other home nations. Then it could have been classed as true British cross section. A fascinating series all the same.

I am very fortunate to be a student of psychology in 2024 because of works like this.

The stories themselves are, without a doubt, wildly entertaining and endlessly fascinating...but, something I don't see a lot of people talking about, is the researchers who first started the experiment, knowing it would be an investment beyond even their own lifetime, but would produce an 'endless' treasure trove worth of data that could be used to study and understand human behavior.

You know, it's not as simple as "talk to people every 7 years and record what they say."

Of course, yes, you absolutely have to give credit to Michael Apted to even conceive of this in the first place, the man is brilliant...but also (and I think he'd agree), there are a lot of moving parts here, and a lot of planning and precision has to go into this to make sure tracking these people throughout their lives wasn't 'just' for entertainment.

So, I'm here to applaud the decades of researchers and research assistants who had the foresight and awareness to even make this possible as a valid experiment in psychology, bracing for an inevitable change of communication mediums and media types while being as minimally invasive as possible. Respect.

Most scientific genius is literally just one person thinking, "let's write down something obvious."

This show is the living definition of that. Pretty cool.

Well done. Very informative. Excellent editing, but 40 minutes too long.

"Give me a child until he is 7, and I will give you the man."

Director Michael Apted has been revisiting the same group of 14 British-born adults every seven years for 56 years. It's a documentary achievement not ever before attempted. It succeeds magically.

His above thesis centers around the notion that at 7 years you can see the same person at 63. Well, maybe not fully, but their individual personalities come through as Apted flashes back to scenes from previous 7-year iterations, including the first in 1963 to let us see the growth of his engaging subjects.

Almost all participants have achieved some happiness, from laborer and mother to Oxford grads and barrister. Common to most of their happiness is children, as good an endorsement of having children as you will ever see. Yet, disappointments and tragedy follow them as well as impermanent happiness, as happens to all who walk this earth.

Apted smartly updates his take by asking questions about current life, such as Brexit or lack of opportunity to buy a home. It is obvious that their children are often staying home into maturity from their inability to buy. Even Tony, a real estate developer, is forced by 2008 to downsize.

Nick learns 10 days before Apted's arrival that he has lung cancer, and librarian Lynn has died from a playground accident. All in all, life has just moved on relentlessly to its inevitable conclusion.

Somehow Apted doesn't set us off into grim thoughts about the human condition; rather he celebrates the small moments of life that give joy and connect us all in common experiences. As his series seems to be coming to a close, we can enjoy watching cohesive parts of the lives we share with each other.

I might go back and review some of the other parts of the series, but for now I've only done the first and last (though I've watched them all).

With the passing of the series maker, Michael Apted, it is especially unfortunate that this latest edition wasn't given more of a retrospective. To me there was always too much rehash of old episodes as it was since really we want to know what's new since last time.

I could probably do an entire review of all the horrible questions that Apted asks over the years. "Do you ever think you're going mad", "was not going to university disappointing for you", "aren't you worth more than this", "don't you think you could have a better job", "sometimes you sound racist". Those are just a sampling of nerve shown throughout the years. It can be very frustrating to watch the subjects being prodded in that kind of fashion.

Another odd detail for me what how three of the boys and three of the girls were lumped together from the beginning and just stayed that way in the decades to come. The implication seemed to be that their identities were so similar that they didn't need interviews of their own.

Still, a great series that has yet to be replicated. Definitely worth the time it takes to see the whole series.

Michael Apted, the director and person most responsible for the "UP" series, himself died in 2019, less than one month before he turned 80. If nothing else this placed a punctuation mark on the concept of aging, we are all here temporarily, and with this most recent film we look at the surviving kids at 63, a reasonable retirement age for many people.

This is a landmark, one-of-a-kind, series of films has been a very enlightening story arc, studying how kids change over the decades and how accurate is the concept "show me a boy at 7 and I'll show you the man." As I have watched it over the years I often found myself envious, wishing I had such a film of my growing up.

In most prior years I was able to get the DVD of the series from my local library but this time I had to rely on streaming programming available online.

A very good watch especially for those of us who have watched all the prior installments.