User Reviews

It's really nice to stumble upon good movies when you don't expect it. Nowadays, we are becoming more and more guided by the marketing that goes behind the movies, to realize when we actually go see them that we are often left unsatisfied.

Felon is a movie about a man who is working hard to create a life for himself and his family, he has worked hard to establish his own business and feels as though he is finally ready to start reaping the fruits of his labour. Then, life brings a unexpected twist and he finds himself in prison. From this point on, we see transformations of a man who is forced into a new world where he has no control.

This movie is a great glimpse of the extreme conditions that the American correctional system can create. It also displays very well how people can get corrupted by power. All the actors in this movie shine and portray perfectly their characters. The story is very well told and by the end of the movie, you are left reflecting on how the correctional system has so many flaws and how it drives people to become their worst, both as inmates and as guards. However, the film also shows that even in these circumstances, there are great acts of humanity and compassion.

A very good movie, definitely worth the watch. 8/10.

Most prison movies are essentially the same story told with different characters. Usually the protagonist is convicted of a crime (which he did or did not do), is sent to prison and finds that they have to either adapt to their brutal new surroundings or die. Allies are won, enemies are made, death lurks around the corner. "Felon" is no different but three things raise it above most others.

First is the setting. Filmed at the New Mexico State Penitentiary, the movie carries an air of authenticity and gritty realism that movie sets simply can't provide.

Next is the casting. Stephen Dorff has always been a very underrated actor and here he provides a wonderful portrayal of a man let down by the legal system and cast adrift in a living nightmare. His descent from upstanding family man to an enraged prison inmate with fire in his eyes and blood on his knuckles is perhaps predictable but Dorff sells the portrayal to the audience completely. However, Harold Perrineau and Val Kilmer are the real stars here. The first (whom avid fans of the television shows "Lost" and "Oz" will already be familiar with) offers a great performance as Lieutenant Jackson, a happy family orientated man outside of prison but a monster within its walls. Kilmer, meanwhile, is John Smith, the philosophical but potentially dangerous convict who comes to befriend Dorff's Wade during their time together.

The third and final ingredient that ensures "Felon" impresses, is the passionate directing by Ric Roman Waugh who also wrote the screenplay (based, apparently, on events at the notorious Californian State Prison). With the help of some incredible editing, the movie powers along at a frantic rate and rarely gives the audience time to breathe. If the ending is somewhat contrived, you can forgive it because the journey to reach the conclusion was so intense.

Highly recommended, especially for fans of "The Shawshank Redemption", "The Big House", "An Innocent Man" and "Lock Up".

I was lucky to see a screener for this film. At first I wasn't expecting much as the last film I saw with Val Kilmer-Conspiracy-I shut off 15 minutes into it in disgust.

Felon, is an excellent film with great acting, a great plot and good dialog. This is by far the best movie I've seen Stephen Dorf in and Val Kilmer gives a solid performance. While the storyline flirts with typical prison antagonists and a pseudo-familiar plot the story is very realistic and highly believable.

Lots of suspense, good solid action, excellent cinematography and great acting make this film a must see for drama/suspense fans. Its great to see Val Kilmer resuming his place as one of the best actors of his generation.

I give it a 10 out of 10 because it kept me in front of the screen, I think it portrayed the prison life from many different perspectives. Despite this dark storyline it's a film I enjoyed more than many others in the last years. It's the first time I leave a comment in 3 years at IMDb, just to let you understand how I enjoyed this film. All characters are developed to suit the overall story, without going too deep or to shallow. Especially Harold Perrineau surprised me, this is his best performance to date. Val Kilmer was just a pleasure to see, this dark Character suited him very well, his acting becomes better and better the older he gets. Great screenplay followed up by a formidable cast. I look forward to see more from Ric Roman Waugh.

This is one of those films that I'd always try to remember. The characters in the film are very realistic. Stephen Dorff, Marisa Nichols carried it really well. MR. Kilmer played a pivotal role towards the end, for all the dubious minds who'd question his character/ role in the film.

I believe Ric Roman did a wonderful job by addressing the many different situations that we as humans can go through in daily life. It was simple yet smart and a powerful film. I may not watch it again for, I do not want to witness the horrid situations again, but I'd definitely recommend it once for all!!

The picture tells the authentic experiences of convicts of a prison that is a hell on the earth, reflecting the hardship existence of the inmates .We have seen men tortured,harassed and humiliated in a gaol where rules the strongest law.

An ordinary family man (Stephen Dorff, also producer) is a fine worker with a good woman(Marisol Nichols) and one son. However he kills a delinquent in loyal defense. Then he's accused and as convict is sent to a severe jail. There is harassed and humiliated until that the fury and revenge emerge. He's only helped by a con (Val Kilmer)framed for life. The film takes place into four walls of a jail and its yard involving the tough life of the prisoners.The starring confronts risks and sufferings for reaching freedom.

This interesting film is essentially developed in prison with some images out prison. The greatest part is narrated into courtyard prison because of it reflects the violent existence of the inmates, with the fights,threats,murders and where rules the strongest's law. In the picture there are thrills,violence,drama,tension and a little bit of action in the final confrontation. The picture obtained enough success, it's a real ¨Sleeper¨ . Stephen Dorff's interpretation is very fine but Val Kilmer is much better, he makes a terrific acting as the veteran convict who teaches at naive inmate to taking on the risks and dangers of the gaol ; his performance bears remarkable resemblance to Ben Kingsley in ¨An innocent man¨ directed by Peter Yates and that also has certain similarities in the argument. And of course, Harold Perrineau as sensation-hungry nasty warden is top-notch. Furthermore, the picture contains realist cinematography and atmospheric musical score. Ric Roman Waugh directs with genius and masterfully transcending the issue and gives something definitively original. The story will appeal to Prison genre enthusiast and Val Kilmer fans. Rating : Very good. Better than average, well worth watching.

This was just great, guys - I loved it!

The acting was great, the script was great, the cast was great! I was actually moved by the performances and the storyline in this movie. It made me realize that I take lots of stuff for granted in this world. As easily as waking up in the morning - as easily and swiftly your life can be turned upside down. This movie perspectivates ones life and at the end, what you're left with, is the feeling of fulfillment and the urge to do something good to the ones you love - or find somebody to love and take good care of them.

A bit gory and ironic at the end - but overall - like one of the other reviews said - one of the greater prison-movies! ...And Val Kilmer - OMG - GREAT JOB, DUDE!

What a great experience, guys! Thank you for that!

/Martin Jakobsen

Despite the proliferation of prison movies since, well, ever, FELON manages to be a fresh and entertaining example of the genre. Stephen Dorff (remember him?) stars as an ordinary family guy who accidentally kills a burglar and finds himself in a high-security prison.

The usual prison clichés abound, with a lot of the focus on brutal fisticuffs as inmates battle it out for supremacy. It reminded me a little of Van Damme's IN HELL, although while that was a pure action film with superbly staged fights, FELON concentrates on the drama between the characters.

Overall, the film holds together well. Time is taken to get to know the characters, not just the prisoners but also those on the outside: the brutal guard who takes his problems home with him, the wife struggling to make it with a husband in prison. It's a film which avoids stereotyping heroes and villains and does well because of it.

One of the real strengths - and this is a surprise - is Val Kilmer in a supporting role as a seasoned lifer. Kilmer turns out to be excellent, bringing real gravitas to his role; to put it bluntly, I've never seen him this good before, and watching him inhabit his role is a real pleasure. Dorff, too, is actually pretty decent, making it easy for the viewer to sympathise with his character's plight.

FELON certainly isn't a classic film, and it's far from the best of the prison movie sub-genre, but it's one of those movies you catch on TV late at night which leaves a real impression. I really liked it.

Felon is an outstanding film and externally well written. It's defiantly one of those films that you can watch again and again.

Wade Porter (Stephen Dorff) is an average guy, successful business, and living with his fiancé and son. All is going well for him until one day a swift moment of judgement ends him up in prison. From here on in, his idea of normality and normal society rules get turned on their heads as he gets to grips with another world of prison rules and prison society ...but this film is much more than about one man serving his time. The line that John Smith (Val Kilmer) puts over a couple of times in the film, "When your life is defined by a single action, you change the concept of time", is interwoven into all the individual characters plots so brilliantly, this film hits you on some many different levels.

Marisol Nichols, who I have only seen in 24 before, gives a great performance as Wade Porter's fiancé, struggling to make ends meat while he is in prison. Can't forget Val Kilmer who gives a Strong performance as well. In fact I can't knock anybody in it, it's not often that the actors, characters and script all seem like they where made for each other.

I can't say that I like it.

I can't say that I don't like it.

This sadly is the truth of what prison is like.

You can get jailed for little reason and unless your defense is solid, you go to jail - whether it's long term or not, there are rules...and they are not the same as outside.

Many times the guards are far worse than the inmates who are detained...and this proves it to a better perspective than most jail movies I've seen.

It's a game that once you leave that courtroom, you have to learn very quickly.

To those that commented on being charged and arrested for protecting your family - yes, sad but true...unless you were injured there was a weapon in direct contact, should you kill somebody or even injure them serious enough to be disabled or have physical problem, then you can be charged with murder, attempted murder, willful negligence and a slew of other charges.

Even if you were in a convenience store and it was being robbed and you worked as a cashier...unless a weapon was brought onto you, should you defend yourself and hold and sustain the attacker - you are liable for criminal charges...even if there are witnesses and camera video recordings.

The justice system is beyond messed.

If you were to injure somebody in a related instance, it would sometimes be better to be killed in the same event - as the law can screw you severely.

This happens in the US and in Canada.

Nobody is innocent and that is the sad but true fact.

Your own home, locked, secured and protected by you and your family has little value the moment you decide to defend yourself and have any good chance in doing so.

Justice is blind, it's for the wealthy and the famous.

Never rely on the public defender. Do whatever you must to get a lawyer that does not work for the county...they are a joke to the defense system and have virtually no trial experience.

i cannot think of the words to praise this film as it is one of the most awe inspiring films i have ever seen. it will make everyone who watches it appreciate everything in their life so much more. truly one of the great films of this century....it will probably not be remembered like this but it truly is. The acting is superb, by all the actors. It is an emotional roller-coaster of a film, bringing you emotions as varied as sorrow, joy and anger. It makes you realise the unjust nature of the world we live in, and how the worst things can happen to the nicest of people. If i can sum up in a sentence what i feel about this film it is.....the best film i have seen for many years bar none,a truly inspiring piece of filmwork and story telling, a must see for everyone :D

This movie would be so much better if it wasn't filmed in such a shaky manner. It made me totally seasick. Great story, acting and premise, though. We really enjoyed the idea.

But I could barely watch - I had to mostly just listen to it. Filming with constant motion does NOT make the movie better. I hate when movies are like this.

I was expecting another prison movie with just more rapes and violence, but i was pleasantly surprised. Val Kilmer is great and Stephen Dorff is great as well. It reminded me a little of The Shawshank redemption and an Innocent man. It shows how difficult life can be for someone whom lives a hardworking and honest life to enter the prison system filled with career criminals and gang members.

This movie encompasses friendships, hardships, and injustices. Even though the circumstances between the characters and the viewers are quite different, you don't feel that far removed from what the characters are going through.

The family man Wade Porter (Stephen Dorff) is living the American Dream with his girlfriend Laura (Marisol Nichols) and their son Michael: they have a nice house, he has just raised a loan to make his company grow and they are going to get married. However their dream becomes a nightmare when Wade unintentionally kills a burglar that had broken into their house in the middle of the night on his lawn. He is sent to trial and accepts a deal proposed by the prosecutor, being sentenced to three years in prison. During the transportation, there is an incident in the bus and Wade is framed and sent to the maximum security wing under the command of the corrupt Lieutenant Jackson (Harold Perrineau). His cell-mate John Smith (Val Kilmer) that was sentenced to life revenging the death of his family befriends Wade and gives helpful advices and hope to Wade to return to his family.

The good "Felon" is another movie that discloses the corruption and brutality in the American Penal system, where the rules of a civilized society are neither followed by the inmates nor by most of the security guards. The dramatic story is engaging, and it is great to see Val Kilmer having again a top-notch performance after a long period of weak movies. Stephen Dorff is also great in the role of a family man that is unfairly imprisoned for protecting his family and dehumanizes and desensitizes to survive in the prison. The unrealistic conclusion is commercial and moralist, reducing the power and impact of the plot. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Felon"

Let me say first off that I'm not into that whole action-thriller-nail biting-under ware staining kinda movie....which is OK because this film is more of a drama than anything else. It kinda reminded me of "The Shawshank Redemption" (another great movie) with Stephen Dorff being Tim Robbins and Val Kilmer being Morgan Freeman (the comparison is a little bit forced but still valid with the two movies plots being somewhat similar). The movie delivers a very diverse emotional palette, with tear breaking scenes all the way to explicit hardcore violence thanks to incredible acting by Dorff, Kilmer and Perrineau, truly bringing their characters to life. All in all, one of the best action dramas i've seen.....definitely a must see movie.

At the start of the film, I wasn't impressed with much - poor directing, lack of proper cast direction, bad sound quality, and even got annoyed with the horrible shaky cam that started to give me a migraine. But as the film progressed, I'm not sure if I got used to the shaky cam (as well as the other issues) or if in fact, everything started to improve, but I started really getting into the story. It still had issues with bad scene transitions and some lack of proper direction, but most can be forgiven as rookie mistakes for newb (at the time) filmmaker Ric Roman Waugh.

However what this film did deliver is a constant tension and suspense filled story, getting better by the minute, and stellar performances by Dorff and especially Kilmer, who nailed his character. Waugh has certainly grown and improved as a filmmaker, as one of my favorite all-time films is Shot Caller (I rated it 10/10), also written and directed by Waugh. So maybe I was a little hard on this film as I saw it after Shot Caller, which was a near-perfect film, and thus set the bar high. Nevertheless, this film is a great story and another of Waugh's must-see films, but maybe see this one first if you haven't seen Shot Caller yet. Both films are in the same genre, but Shot Caller is imo Waugh's best work to date.

After accidentally beating to death a burglar on his lawn, the hardworking Wade Porter (Stephen Dorff, 'Shadowboxer' 'fairdotcom') finds himself convicted to 3 years hard time. To make matters worse, Wade on his bus ride to the State Prison, gets implicated in the murder of one of the inmates in the bus. After some time in solitary confinement, he gets placed in the maximum security section of the prison know as 'The Shoe'. The place is reigned by the evil lt. Jackson played by Harold Perrineau ('OZ' 'Lost'). Hard Time is surely upon the inmates for they are being put to fight each other under the supervision of Jackson and his team who eventually ends all fights by shooting the fighting inmates but only after a fair amount of fighting took place.

The movie in itself is not badly done and features some great acting by both Kilmer (as the wise and ruthless bunk mate) Perrineau and Dorff. But there are some serious issues with the film.

In brief: the movie is overwrought, crammed with the usual prison clichés and too unrealistic for it's own good. The character Jackson is simply too bloodthirsty to buy him as a character and it strains the caricature of the evil prison guard even further. Porter becomes the-guy-to-be-reckoned-with apparently over night. Where he's just a completely ignorant prison fish in one scene, he's already beating up everybody in the next. Felon also suffers from being way too straightforward and lacked heavily in the humor department.

That said, there are some very convincing scenes and I would recommend this movie to those that are really into the underdog prison type of films such as Lock Up and The Last Castle. Even though those movies are surely not as good as felon, it's a better comparison than to compare it to Shawshank Redemption which is like comparing a decent pulp novel to any good work of literature.

6.3/10

Felon is a moralistic movie about a guy that is sentenced to prison cause of some circumstance which is best described as 'being at the wrong place at the wrong time', together with an action that is very understandable, but very unfortunate. Most of it takes place in a US penal institution and i don't know enough about that to reflect on it being correct. It probably differs from state to state and from prison to prison and even from one part of a prison to another, but looking at the movies and documentaries about US penal institutions, its probably not far of. I wouldn't last a day if i were ever sent into one of those and i really sympathize with any person who is penalized because of an error, corruption, or some grey area that is judged hard but from what everyone thinks it wasn't that bad. That last thing is what this movie is about and without getting too deep into who is to blame for what, i would like to quote Dostojevski - i think- who said that 'you can judge any society by its prisoners'.

The filmmakers obviously wanted to address this issue, since the movie is all about that and ends with 'in 2008 there are 2.3 million people in US prisons'

It is appalling to think that a portion of these people are wrongfully committed. (probably 10's of thousands)

So as far as the story goes; this is really worth a view. Acting is great, specially Val Kilmer who i hardly recognized, but plays magnificent. I cant think of anything bad to say about this movie. You have to see it.

Its very sad that ones life can be ruined just in a second, by some coincidence. The movie ends well, so we can all sleep good, but its a movie. Most people that get in like that, never get out, partly because they don't know the scene, don't know how to fight in that world and if they do, they will never be the same again.

The American penal system isn't made to put people back in society. On the contrary, it criminalizes people.

Edit: 2019

I said i would never survive. Unfortunately i ended up in prison in 2012, for 3+ years. In NL, not US, but still. I survived. Don't ask... My respect for ppl that are not real criminals only increased due to this. I watched the movie again afterwards. Thank god i didnt have to fight for my life literally. But yea, the setting is pretty realistic apart from that. I could actually smell it again. Its a mix of fear and agression and sweat and farts and pee and poo and cum and god knows what else. Most ppl keep some hygienic standards up, or try to. Some just lay in their own filth, which is shuffled and hosed out once a year or smth. Not a place you want to go. But i guess it would be good for everyone to experience it for a month or smth. If not for a lesson in life, power of the state and such, to build up some mental strength and appreciate a decent cup of coffee. What can i say?

I never thought i would end up there. Got through using my wits and had to bluff 2 times to get the predators off my back. Used my conviction as a deterent too. I guess im traumatised. Ironically, it was trauma that got me in there to begin with. Not illogical i guess. Its the dehumanisation that gets to you more than anything i think. (unless ofc you literally have to fight for you life)

I dont think any movie can ever capture it for what it is. Most is boredom i guess. Sitting staring at a locked door. hour after hour. day after day. year after year.

No you cannot imagine what it is, unless youve been there. Similarly i cannot imagine what it is to know youll be there for the rest of your life. Or waiting to be executed. I dont even want to think about it anymore. Dont even presume you can approach knowing what it is. You dont.

After watching Felon, I didn't feel robbed of the time I spent with it, but there is definetly a quality missing. In fact, there seems to be a common thread with most movies, these days, in that they're missing this certain quality. I've started noticing this as the streaming services have been gaining steam. These movies on Netflix, Prime, Hulu, and so on have the technical aspects covered. They get the actors and directors we're familiar with, but these movies are all missing a soul. I'm not a filmmaker and I don't have the answer, but as someone who has enjoyed movies his whole life, I can easily see that this element is lacking. Felon is no exception. I was asking myself, after seeing this movie, if I could imagine it being on the big screen. I couldn't. Maybe it was though, I don't know. It makes me think back to titles like Bird Box. That movie was a huge deal. Again, well produced, filmed, acted, and so on. It too was missing a soul. It was just film and very forgettable.

I know every movie can't be Jaws or Rocky or Empire Strikes Back, but what are we being subjected to these days? Even John Hughes movies, although not blockbusters, always had the soul element that made the movie a part of you. This stuff on streaming outlets is ok, but it isn't even close to groundbreaking material, and it will never become a part of the fabric of a generation.

I know I didn't give much of a review about Felon, but it was just really a piece of rinse and repeat of what we're given from our streaming services.

The writing in this movie is atrocious.

Whoever did the research for legal precedents for defense in home invasions obviously didn't do their jobs properly or the movie decided to take a wild creative license with U.S. criminal law.

If someone broke into your house and attacked you and you chased them out onto your property and you killed them you would be found innocent by a judge and jury 100% of the time according the legal precedent in the U.S.

On November 14th, 2007, a Texas man named Joe Horn shot two robbers to death on his neighbor's property after the men had robbed the adjacent house of $2000 cash and other valuables. The jury found him innocent of murder and other charges and declared he had a right to defend himself.

Amadou Diallo, on February 4th, 1999, was shot down and killed by NYPD officers who thought he was reaching into his pocket for a gun, when instead he was reaching for his wallet. All of the officers were acquitted of all charges and found innocent of all wrong doing. Officers in other districts have been found innocent of this same scenario when the item mistaken for a weapon was a cellphone, candy bar, pen, and car keys for some examples.

Guns deaths in this country in self defense situations, civilians in the U.S. kill more criminals than police, at nearly double the rate.

Regardless of whether or not you agree that police or civilians in self defense have a right to kill another person, it doesn't matter because the plot of this movie completely disregards U.S. laws and just runs with a false premise.

No one would be convicted of murder to quickly if they had accidentally killed someone that was robbing their home clearly. At worst they would get accidental manslaughter charges which that individual would be acquitted of by a jury.

Also the movie portrays public defenders as being inadequate yet there is no basis in reality for this assumption as well.

Overall the researchers and writers for this movie clearly did not do their jobs. This movie is closer to science-fiction and fantasy than drama.

Yes, prison can make you numb

But it also forces you to see

What's important

Family and loyalty

For there is never fraud there

Whatever you become

Don't run

Be brave to face

And grow from it

Don't you ever forget what's important

Remember my final advice to you

Wade Porter

Even if I have to kill again

And to protect the family at all costs

Because I would destroy the world if I could

To get my family back

Goodbye my friend

I've never been to prison and hope to never go but if this is even close how it is, I'm on the straight and narrow. Great acting throughout, you really felt the characters. The reason he was sent to prison seemed a little rushed though, I'm not sure if that's how it would actually go.