Felon (2008)

The plot expands and gets more complex as the story progresses, and the dramatic tension ratchets up

It's still white-knuckle tense, and held together by dozens of small, well-observed moments.

...establishes itself as a gritty, thoroughly compelling prison drama that rarely relies on the various tropes of the genre.

Dorff, who was last spotted as a scary sexual sadist in Shadowboxer, gives a mesmerizing performance evolving from stunned civilian to brutalized inmate and dangerous prison thug, then transforming into a tested man who rediscovers his own humanity.

This tough, uncompromising, cautionary thriller should be a wake-up call about America's outrageously archaic laws insofar as defending the sanctity of home and family.

Felon ventures outside the prison walls so often that the audience doesn’t get a prolonged sense of the claustrophobia of confinement; the rage being displayed actually dispels the sense of isolation and boredom.

Kilmer and Dorff, who was also an executive producer, immerse themselves in difficult roles and the film's overall air of social commitment will surprise viewers drawn in by its exploitation-movie promotion.