stacilayne

The Prison Within is a powerful film, especially in these days of cancel culture - lock them up, and throw away the key! But wait a minute... many of the prisoner locked away for violent crimes are only a product of the home or society in which they were raised. These are human beings who, if they are given the opportunity, can feel remorse and can be rehabilitated. The Prison Within is aptly named, for a lot of these convicts punish themselves far worse than the justice system ever could. This documentary shows the power of compassion and forgiveness in a gripping way that stay with you.

I bought this DVD (new director's cut on Amazon) because of Tippi Hedren - and she's great in her small but important role - and wound up really enjoying the whole thing. It's mysterious (my suspect list kept changing), gory at times (all practical effects) but not overly so, and I loved the music and cinematography (reminded me of a Brian De Palma movie). Definitely worth a look.

It's nice to see indie filmmakers going west and doing something a little different from the usual "two people in a cafe" or "four people in an apartment" type thing. The locations are wonderful, the actors are fun, and I enjoyed the music score.