3/11/2020 - Prayer Before Dawn (2017) - 7/10

Based on the true story of a kickboxing English convict in a Thai prison, this is a visceral and engaging story of life on the edge and the path towards some kind of personal redemption. This is less Rocky and more Starred Up. A caustic prison drama with the punchiness of sports action. Elementally simplistic, but it is weaved together with such intensity, vividness, and craftsmanship that it hits like a knockout.

It is slyly distant while focusing much of the shots on close over the shoulder personal style. The goal of putting the viewer behind the bars, on the brink of violence at any moment, and in the pangs of necessity, be it drug, fight, sex, or human interaction. But there is a forever gap between you and the hardest of the feelings. It is clever in its pulling you in but keeping you out of reach.

The director, Sauvaire, is intelligent and skilled, but so is our lead. Joe Cole kills it here. He is raw, magnetic and fills the screen well. I was impressed and hope to see him in much more soon.

This is an underseen gem. Certainly not for everyone or every viewing experience, but I really enjoyed this film and felt gripped by it.