Inside

A high-end art thief becomes trapped inside a luxury, high-tech penthouse in New York's Times Square after his heist doesn't go as planned. Locked inside with nothing but priceless works of art, he must use all his cunning and invention to survive.

If you've seen the trailer, Inside is exactly what you think it is: a man trapped in a high-end condo with no avenues of escape. The no-frills, approach to the story hits the ground running with Willem DaFoe's Nemo trapped within the first 10 minutes. These 10 minutes are enough to establish the only necessaries the audience needs: art thief, in a penthouse loaded with expensive artwork, owner out of the country. The other 95 minutes showcase Nemo's ingenuity, his many setbacks, and his decaying thought process as the penthouse deteriorates into a wasteland of filth, a visual representation of his mental state. As a one man show, it's incredible to watch DaFoe's Nemo work through his obstacles and observe how he navigates his failures. As a movie, it's longer than it needs to be, wearing its premise thin before Nemo reaches his final conclusion.

Willem DaFoe is a one man force in this movie. While it's been done countless times throughout cinema to varying degrees (Sam Rockwell in Moon, Redford in All Is Lost, Tom Hardy in Locke), the concept of seeing only one person on the screen for the vast majority of the performance is a tall task for an actor and DaFoe's slow descent into madness is expertly conveyed. An actor who's shown multiple times over his career to play characters that are a bit unhinged or or coming apart at the scenes, DaFoe calls upon those past roles to portray a man losing his grip on reality the more desperate he becomes. The internet loves to poke fun at DaFoe's crazy eyes and wild performances, and Inside shows just how good he is with these types of roles.

Directed by first time director Vasilis Katsoupis, Inside shows promise in an interesting directing career while also displaying some flaws. A one person story that carries across an feature length runtime is a difficult enough feat for a veteran storyteller; Katsoupis tackles it right out of the gate. Inside is highlighted by its minimalist nature; the only things the viewer has to focus on is Willem DaFoe and the penthouse. To its credit, the production design is well thought out, lending a sense of someone with far too much money having just enough items scattered about to give Nemo a fighting chance at survival. Katsoupis and screenwriter Ben Hopkins dole out enough small victories (and a number of setbacks) to keep audiences baited and rooting for the thief.

Overall, Inside is a decent feature debut from Katsoupis. At 105 minutes, the pacing drags at times due to not having enough material to justify its runtime. Had 15-20 minutes been shaved from the story, viewers would've experienced a much more lean, faster moving story of a man desperate to escape. As it stands, though, it's a great vessel to spotlight Willem DaFoe's talents and let him shine. Great production design, an intriguing premise, and an actor talented enough to hold the audience's attention for the majority of the time, the film is good enough weeknight watch after work.

I wanted to watch this but the alarms going on loud for several minutes was the first red flag to show the people who did this movie had no idea what would bother the audience to the extent of quitting.

After the 7th minute, I tried to skip through the scenes to see what was gonna happen. Even the most promising frames proved to belong with dull and predictable stuff when I hit play again.

This kind of thing can be developed into a notable feature with twists and turns OR it can be executed as a short or a student film of sorts. But banging on the viewer's head with unnecessary loud alarms and the absence of entertainment value has driven this one into an abyss.

Maybe later I will skip through the remaining minutes to check if in the end something notable happens. Or maybe not.

Plenty of people have commented already, both positively and negatively. I'm in the positive camp. I'll try to help you figure out if this could be for you.

Art, life, human experience, ecology, our place in the world and in our minds. That, for me, is what this film is mostly about.

Arthouse, yes, but gorgeously so.

If you are a student of film or cinematography or photography this movie keeps serving up shots you wish you could create.

Dafoe's performance is brilliant - in a subtle and internal way.

If you thought Aranofsky's Mother was worth watching, this is for you (although completely dissimilar). If you have enjoyed Baraka, Samsara and the rest, this is probably for you.

In terms of plot, it is minimal and has no thrills to speak of.

I think it's important to say that there's nothing wrong with not liking the film, feeling bored by it, not wanting to see it. Those who will enjoy it are not above anyone else - those who are disinterested are not below anyone else.

I hope this has helped someone.

Willem Dafoe plays Nemo, a thief who gets trapped inside a luxury penthouse after stealing some artworks. He has to survive on his own, with only his memories and some fish for company. The film is a tense and gripping exploration of isolation, identity and art, with Dafoe delivering a masterful performance that carries the whole film. Director Vasilis Katsoupis creates a suffocating atmosphere that keeps the audience on edge, while also offering some glimpses of humor and humanity. The film is not for everyone, as it can be slow-paced, repetitive and bleak at times, but it is a unique and daring experiment that showcases Dafoe's talent and charisma.

In the pandemic-era film "Inside", Willem Dafoe's impressive range and versatility are on full display as he plays the character of Nemo, an art thief trapped in a luxurious Manhattan penthouse after the security system malfunctions. The film alternates between being a survival thriller and a twisted exercise of the mind, exploring themes of isolation, anxiety, and the need for human connection. While the movie touches on these deeper themes, it also delves into the idea of art and its inseparable bond to the human will. Nemo's inherent urge to create and express is showcased as he sketches on shreds of paper or creates his own mural while trapped in the penthouse. The freedom of the New York City skyline, just beyond the panes of unbreakable glass, is a cruel tease, making art a soothing balm in his confined world. Dafoe's physical and psychological transformation is both harrowing and fascinating to watch. Though Nemo's character may be a tad too opaque, the audience is submerged into his experience, feeling the palpable sense of confinement and being cut off from the outside world.

At its core, "Inside" poses thoughtful questions surrounding the purpose of art, keeping its answers vague enough for the audience to wrestle with. And while there are brief moments of cheerfulness, such as when the "Macarena" song by Los Del Río plays while the refrigerator door is left open for 20 seconds, the overall feeling of the movie is dark and dour. Overall, "Inside" is a pandemic-era film that explores the deeper themes of isolation, anxiety, and the need for human connection through the lens of art and survival. Dafoe's impressive range and talent at display together with the exploration of the human will to create and express make it a must-watch. There is no creation without destruction!