Inside

First off I really enjoyed this movie. It held my attention the whole time and Willem Dafoe did a great job at keeping my focus.

Movies in a single location with minimal cast are incredibly difficult to pull off but I think this one managed it.

The cinematography was spot on and the photography was there too. The acting made sense the script didn't feel forced and possibly the best atmospheric soundtrack in a very long time with use of tones rather than music tracks.

Now don't get me wrong I'm not fanboying all over this as there were a number of issues that arose but you'll have to watch it to make your mind up about them.

This movie will no doubt be boring to anyone who's a fan of say Michael Bay or Vin Diesel as it isn't an action packed joy ride.

For people who like something a bit weird but focused I'd definitely recommend it.

Willem Dafoe plays Nemo, a thief who gets trapped inside a luxury penthouse after stealing some artworks. He has to survive on his own, with only his memories and some fish for company. The film is a tense and gripping exploration of isolation, identity and art, with Dafoe delivering a masterful performance that carries the whole film. Director Vasilis Katsoupis creates a suffocating atmosphere that keeps the audience on edge, while also offering some glimpses of humor and humanity. The film is not for everyone, as it can be slow-paced, repetitive and bleak at times, but it is a unique and daring experiment that showcases Dafoe's talent and charisma.

A high-end art thief becomes trapped inside a luxury, high-tech penthouse in New York's Times Square after his heist doesn't go as planned. Locked inside with nothing but priceless works of art, he must use all his cunning and invention to survive.

If you've seen the trailer, Inside is exactly what you think it is: a man trapped in a high-end condo with no avenues of escape. The no-frills, approach to the story hits the ground running with Willem DaFoe's Nemo trapped within the first 10 minutes. These 10 minutes are enough to establish the only necessaries the audience needs: art thief, in a penthouse loaded with expensive artwork, owner out of the country. The other 95 minutes showcase Nemo's ingenuity, his many setbacks, and his decaying thought process as the penthouse deteriorates into a wasteland of filth, a visual representation of his mental state. As a one man show, it's incredible to watch DaFoe's Nemo work through his obstacles and observe how he navigates his failures. As a movie, it's longer than it needs to be, wearing its premise thin before Nemo reaches his final conclusion.

Willem DaFoe is a one man force in this movie. While it's been done countless times throughout cinema to varying degrees (Sam Rockwell in Moon, Redford in All Is Lost, Tom Hardy in Locke), the concept of seeing only one person on the screen for the vast majority of the performance is a tall task for an actor and DaFoe's slow descent into madness is expertly conveyed. An actor who's shown multiple times over his career to play characters that are a bit unhinged or or coming apart at the scenes, DaFoe calls upon those past roles to portray a man losing his grip on reality the more desperate he becomes. The internet loves to poke fun at DaFoe's crazy eyes and wild performances, and Inside shows just how good he is with these types of roles.

Directed by first time director Vasilis Katsoupis, Inside shows promise in an interesting directing career while also displaying some flaws. A one person story that carries across an feature length runtime is a difficult enough feat for a veteran storyteller; Katsoupis tackles it right out of the gate. Inside is highlighted by its minimalist nature; the only things the viewer has to focus on is Willem DaFoe and the penthouse. To its credit, the production design is well thought out, lending a sense of someone with far too much money having just enough items scattered about to give Nemo a fighting chance at survival. Katsoupis and screenwriter Ben Hopkins dole out enough small victories (and a number of setbacks) to keep audiences baited and rooting for the thief.

Overall, Inside is a decent feature debut from Katsoupis. At 105 minutes, the pacing drags at times due to not having enough material to justify its runtime. Had 15-20 minutes been shaved from the story, viewers would've experienced a much more lean, faster moving story of a man desperate to escape. As it stands, though, it's a great vessel to spotlight Willem DaFoe's talents and let him shine. Great production design, an intriguing premise, and an actor talented enough to hold the audience's attention for the majority of the time, the film is good enough weeknight watch after work.

As the headline states, I expected more from this film since it's basically a one-man-show starring the extremely charismatic and talented Willem Dafoe. Based on the premise of the man trapped on the inside, I made the assumption that we would spend 90 minutes on the edge of my seat. With such a great setup and potential for suspense, this film's low energy, and plodding pace were a huge letdown. There were an excess of long, low key, environmental shots, which may have been intended to be "artistic", but had little artistic impact, and only contributed to the movie's slow pacing and rhythm. Personally, this is a movie I MIGHT watch at home, but definitely not worth a watch in the theater.

Dafoe is excellent in this film. If you are a fan of his, I would definitely give this one a chance. The story is quite meandering at times due to a relatively plotless script, but I have to admit, when Dafoe gets to shine, he is impossible to take your eyes off from. I wish the thematic elements regarding "art is for keeps" was more consistent throughout the piece, and I wish some side characters weren't just throw away characters to expand the run time. This takes place in one location. If you don't like those types of movies or have no interest in Willem Dafoe as an actor, you really don't need to watch this one. Oh, and shout out to the pigeon for contributing to one of the funniest scenes of the year.