Felon

Though it admittedly gets off to a less-than-impressive start, Felon ultimately establishes itself as a gritty, thoroughly compelling prison drama that rarely relies on the various tropes of the genre. This is despite an opening that’s almost comical in its lack of subtlety, as the central character’s (Stephen Dorff’s Wade Porter) absurdly perfect existence – he has a loving wife, an adorable son, and a lucrative business loan was just approved – is shattered after he’s arrested (and subsequently convicted) for killing an intruder. Filmmaker Ric Roman Waugh effectively pushes past the eye-rolling opening by focusing on Wade’s efforts at integrating himself within the walls of a maximum security penitentiary, where he eventually runs afoul of a white-power gang and befriends a philosophical lifer (Val Kilmer’s John Smith) who says things like “perception is reality.” Shot on location at a working prison, Felon boasts an atmosphere of authenticity that proves instrumental in allowing one to easily overlook its sporadic flaws – with Dorff’s unexpectedly powerful performance certainly ranking high on the film’s list of positive attributes. The actor does a superb job of portraying Wade’s transformation from frightened neophyte to grizzled veteran, which ensures that one is essentially forced to place themselves into his character’s shoes – with this vibe especially true of the harrowing early scenes in which Wade first arrives at the hoosegow. And while Waugh’s screenplay does include an evil guard (Harold Perrineau’s Lt. Jackson), the filmmaker generally infuses the proceedings with a fresh sensibility that separates it from its similarly-themed brethren – with the end result an uncommonly rough prison flick whose stellar quality belies its direct-to-video origins.

***1/2 out of ****