R Movie Review
Directed by Tobias Lindholm, Michael Noer
Reviewer: Horrorphilia Jeremy

Boys and girls—prison is a bad place, and I mean really, really bad, especially if you are Danish. Like Un Prophet, R tells the story of a young newcomer that tries to find his way in a very hardcore prison system. Yet R strays from that movie and others as a darker and more vicious film that will punish the audience for expecting anything less than complete realism. The ending is a true holy-crap moment that is powerful and disturbing all at once.

The star, Johan Philip Asbek, looks like a cross between Leonardo Dicaprio and Ray Liotta, and has the charisma and acting chops to carry the film. The film at times needs carrying, because it never leaves the bleak existence of the prison confines, and that naturally wears on the viewer. The other supporting actors were also amazing and had me convinced they had to be ex-convicts to be so believable. And the score is an incredible ambient work that really nails the intensity of the film.

Like I mentioned before, the one static setting and a European pacing may turn off some viewers. Yet if you want to see a very realistic movie that will leave even horror fans thinking, “That was really messed up”, check it out. Not many American directors would have the balls to try something like this. Rating: 8/10.