Danish and Arabic with English subtitles

18A - Brutal violence. Coarse language.

Hardly a standard locale for prison films, Denmark stands proudly in the film R, one of cinema’s most punishing, realistic and entirely unsentimental tales of criminal life behind bars.

Horsens State Prison is the destination for both the audience and the shadow-cloaked prisoner, R (Johan Philip Asbæk). We are never ahead of the shifting allegiances and violent surprises that lurk behind every door. No clichés exist in this world of hard, powerful men. This is no Shawshank. Every figure, guard or con, is an iron-clad mystery.

When R meets fellow newcomer Rashid in the open field, the Dane and the Arab conspire to bridge the gap between the hate-divided groups and develop a commercial venture that aims to elevate their respective ranks. The film brilliantly changes sides to the Arab wing of this cement hell and our perspective flips with this bold directorial choice. Rashid carries this nihilistic vision to its conclusion, sparing no man his humanity and leaving us cold to the fact that R is indeed a carefully constructed trip down a wet stairwell of smashed teeth, hand-made knives and unredemptive finality.

TS