Anyone else think Felon (2008) is underrated?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1117385/
Stephen Dorff ends up behind bars after killing a burglar in his own home—a fantastic prison drama, plus you get Val Kilmer and Harold Perrineau (who, if you ask me, delivers a career-best performance here).

Just finished watching it. Solid movie, definitely worth your time. I’d give it an 8/10. 👍

Just finished watching... what an incredible film. It was gripping from the very first frame right until the final credits rolled.

Definitely worth a watch.👍

A truly exceptional film, I suppose.

Just finished watching it—absolute masterpiece. If you’re a fan of the series Oz, you seriously need to check this out. Definitely worth your time.

Spot on. I was recently watching this documentary on PBS about some of the most high-security prisons in the States. It’s wild how much of what they showed there actually shows up in this movie. You really need to check it out.

Just watched it yesterday. Absolute masterpiece. Seriously—Kilmer's best performance ever.

A stellar film, I’d give it a solid 9 out of 10.

I am struggling to wrap my head around one specific detail, though. When Harold Perrineau gave the order for Dorff to return to the courtyard, why was it necessary for Kilmer to follow him?

goldenhound32 said:Great movie, solid 9 out of 10.

I don't get one thing, though. When that Black guy ordered Dorff back into the yard, why did Kilmer have to go with him?

SPOILER:
Because it allows that guy to claim Kilmer killed Dorff later on. Then the guards, in their attempt to stop it, kill Kilmer instead. That was the whole setup.

Ha, why would some psycho kill two old ladies instead of just one? Maybe he wanted it to look like they took each other out.

Personally, I think this movie is great—but honestly, it could've been an instant classic if it was longer and had more action.

Dennis Doyle3 said:I suppose I should have seen this coming, though that doesn't make the inevitable any easier to swallow. It’s all laid out now, isn't it? The pieces are finally moving exactly where they were always destined to go, regardless of how much we might have wished for a different outcome. There is a certain, exhausting predictability to it all—a sense that we are merely watching a script unfold that was written long before we even stepped into the room. It feels heavy, somewhat hollow, and entirely too predictable. One almost finds a strange, bitter comfort in knowing the blow is coming, even if you can't quite brace yourself for the impact.
That is precisely why they did it. It was all part of the setup—so that later on, the Black actor could claim that Kilmer actually killed Dorff. The guards weren't just bystanders; they were actively trying to prevent that outcome, and in doing so, they killed Kilmer. That was the entire play. Everything was orchestrated.

It seems like a rather flimsy plan to me. I mean, where on earth would Kilmer get a leg like that?

An excellent film, though I can't shake the feeling it would have reached even greater heights had they handed the director's chair over to David Ayer...

Sean Patel4 said:It’s a fantastic movie, though I can't shake the feeling it might have reached even greater heights if they had handed the director's chair over to David Ayer...

I fail to see how it could be improved; there isn't a single flaw to be found here.

excellent👍

goldenhound32 said:I am at a loss as to how one could improve upon perfection when there isn't a single error to be found here.

In my estimation, it would possess a much more refined character...
Since you rated it a 9/10 yourself, this version would surely nudge that score up to a 9.5.

Sean Patel4 said:it would have had a better vibe, if you ask me...
you said it yourself—9/10. This way, it’d be at least a 9.5

I honestly can't say. I watched Harsh Times, and it was actually quite solid in terms of direction. My only issue was that watching Bale in that role felt slightly off; he just doesn't have that specific facial structure you see with actors from Spain, so his delivery looked a little strange. I haven't seen Street Kings.

Man, Harsh Times is such a killer movie. That part where they head over to that dark spot and lie to the house—saying Eva (she's great!) thinks this guy is just looking for work—and then the guy he was staying with calls him right as she overhears everything? Absolute madness. What a mess.

wiredtiger10 said:*Harsh Times* is an absolutely brilliant movie. There’s that scene where they go to that Black man's place and call the house so that Eva (who's great!) thinks he's looking for work, but she ends up overhearing everything. What absolute creeps.

It's honestly hilarious.🤣
For me, *Harsh Times* sits comfortably in my top ten; there is a certain intangible magic to it that I can't quite put into words.

To avoid drifting too far off-topic, I find it somewhat curious that this director was chosen to helm a project starring a Felon, considering the actor's previous two films weren't particularly well-received—at least based on their IMDb ratings—but regardless, he managed to pull off a truly impressive job.

Sean Patel4 said:it's actually hilarious 🤣
man, Harsh Times is easily in my top 10—there’s just this specific vibe to it, I can't even put it into words.

You know why, though? In my opinion—it's basically two movies packed into one. On one hand, you've got this buddy comedy thing going on, but then it pivots into this total downward spiral.

Absolutely phenomenal movie!!!