Letters from a Killer

Are prisoners actually allowed to send and receive audio letters to multiple people at a time or anyone at all? Is this really something a prison would entertain, especially if the guards have to listen to every single second of every tape? It seems kinda ridiculous whether it be legit or not, but that's the general setup here. The downside to this premise is a slow tedious build-up of these 'letters' being narrated to us while we watch Swayze trapped in his cell. The first half of this movie drags along with little reward, so much time is given to such a simple idea to explain. Things do pick though in the second half with the movie transforming into an enjoyable, yet somewhat predictable thriller. It never endeavors to explore its possibilities too much beyond a cat and mouse chase, and there's a feeling of a lot of story left on the table with this one. Ultimately the movie is too hampered by its beginnings that it all descends into a bit of a rush to finish it off towards the end. The supporting cast is as you expect, but the recipients of his 'letters' could have been fleshed out more. Swayze is fine, reliable, but somewhat passive throughout.