On the Inside

This movie was so awful i wish i didn't even have to give it a star. thank god i only waisted a dollar 25 or whatever and an hour or so of my life on this god awful movie. Don't see this!! it had noooo story line whatsoever. it never went anywhere. horrible, seriously. the distcription of it when you go to rent it from red box it seems like its gonna be another shutter island kinda scary but the whole description was miss leading and i couldn't be more disappointed. i can't believe I'm waisting my time on this thing!! that is all. and i never write reviews unless they are this bad. thanks for reading..hope you take my advice! xox

Watch this one for the acting. We get to see some pretty mainstream actors playing crazy, and it is gripping to watch. Olivia Wilde gave a phenomenal performance. I enjoyed her in this more than anything else I have seen her in. Olivia really went to a vulnerable and broken place to play this role. The story was simple, but this movie wasn't really story driven. In contrast, the characters were deep, and the actor's performances carried this movie.

We don't really see the characters grow, or change, except for some subtle realizations at the end. What we do get is a slowly deepening glimpse into the minds of some some very confused people and the deeper we go, the more human they become to us. This movie is really trying to tell us that among the most damaged people in our society, while many are beyond redemption, others are just trying to find happiness, and to figure out what that is for them and if it is even possible given their flawed natures.

Usually, I only review Horror films. However, in this case, I gladly make an exception. The first review I've seen for this film has been titled "I Don't Get Why This is Only a 5", which has really made me happy. Finally I'm not the only one to notice how painfully unfair some of the reviews and ratings are on this site.

On The Inside tells the story of a man locked up in an asylum for the criminally insane. The story and screenplay are interesting, compelling and realistic, giving the audience just the right amount of "suspension of disbelief". The build up in regards to some of the characters could have been slightly more elaborate, and the film altogether could have been longer, but considering the final product - Director/Writer D.W. Brown has done a great job.

The absolute best part in my opinion is the acting. Nick Stahl, whom I've only seen in Terminator 3, has been given a much greater challenge, to which he stood up beautifully. However, with all due respect, the supporting cast have been the ones to truly leave an impression on me. House MD's own Olivia Wilde, as beautiful as always, has really done a great job playing the role of Bi-Polar patient Mia, and Dash Mihok has done just as well in the role of murdering sociopath Carl Tarses. However, the Oscar obviously and most definitely goes to Pruitt Taylor Vince. The way he played the role of Ben Marshal has been no less than an inspiration. I honestly felt like standing up and applauding, and if I were to ever meet him - I'd sure like to shake his hand. Perhaps most of the audience, who have never seen the inside of an asylum before nor met the inhabitants, couldn't have really appreciated the fine delicate nuances of the superb acting and how realistically the cast have portrayed the characters, but it was truly amazing.

Perhaps the film could have used a more prominent twist in the plot, and altogether a longer story. However, all in all, not since Jack Nicklseon in "The Cuckoo's Nest" have we been blessed with such a fine work of art showing the lives of the criminally insane. I've been deeply impressed by "On The Inside", and would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone, if only for the superb acting!

mrc303 nailed it..

Olivia Wilde's amazing performance.. along with Nick and the rest.

The acting was superb.. writing OK.. and overall very well done.

Simple fact is the actor(s) did as was needed and then some.

A sadly under rated winner IMHO.

How on earth this is only a 4.9 is astounding. Maybe the "Napoleon" fans need to learn what real acting is.

Oh and Min lines etc rules... phooey (review editor can remove this line but pls let the superiors know that it's not an effective rule to prevent spam. etc etc)

Is it an epic masterpiece? No. Is it well and appropriately written? Yes. Is it well acted? Absolutely.

OK, some of the back-story is left a little lacking in flashbacks that are extremely short and for the most part lacking in development. But the present is well thought out, follows a natural character progression, and there aren't any unnecessary character trait flips to create artificial drama. The ending is appropriate for the progression of the story. Even the audio is perfectly developed.

Basically, this hits the mark on every mark except special effects (which would feel completely tacked on and unnecessary anyway). I don't get why there are so many poor reviews for something very solid!