Felon

R

Released Jul 18, 2008

1h 44m

Drama

List

60%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

82%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A new convict (Stephen Dorff) struggles to maintain his sanity and sense of humanity after he's thrust into a prison system in which a brutal guard (Harold Perrineau) encourages gladiatorial combat between inmates.

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Critics Consensus

Felon offers a rather hackneyed depiction of prison life, but is held together by a pleasantly complex plot and solid performances from Kilmer and Dorff.

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jwcdood

FELON is a hard hitting action/suspense prison flick that holds attention throughout. It's about corruption in the prison system administration, conflict throughout the prison population and convict's family tension. Gripping and well cast, directed and produced. It certainly didn't look like him, but Val Kilmer's understated performance was standout and everyone else's was very well done.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

That was one heavy movie. That should be shown to all kids before the leave school. Scared the c*$p out of me.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/20/23

Full Review

david r

Having spent almost 8 years behind bars in my 20's...This movie reminds me why I moved 3000 kilometers away and changed my life. I was in gladiator school. I fought my way to survive and made it home in one piece and this great movie reminds me of why at 45 this summer and understanding the family dynamic that Steven Dorff was going through having a 5 year old myself, I will never go back. This was a dead pan account on accuracy and Dorf and Val Kilmer played their parts to protection. I hadn't watched this movie for about 5 years and it just brought back so much memories and once again reminded me to never make the mistake of ending up in a place like that again. I really was surprised the first time I watched this how good it was and I just felt the same enjoyment but also reminded me and scared the s*** out of me because folks this is real I remember fighting once a week at least to survive. And now the guys I grew up with and left in my old city are the shot callers in prisons and on the street and I'm sure glad that I'm not there. Great acting and an excellent antagonist in Lt. Jackson, although I hope I don't see that muther fukker again. At least not as a bad guy, well acted by Harold Perrineau P as well. And the others who played inmates. And of course Sam Shepard! As well as Dorff's wife Marisol Nichols. I Really enjoyed this movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/20/23

Full Review

helen g

A nearly good all-rounder. The best thing is having Val Kilmer in a worthwhile part - a philosophical character with his own sense of justice. He makes it a good film. Thanks Val.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/19/23

Full Review

The Coconut Cabbie

An enjoyable prison movie; worth a watch if killing time: nothing to write home about. A reasonable plot with a few tear jerking moments, even a couple enjoyable characters—Val Kilmer, Link from the Matrix and the super Nazi guy—however slightly anti-climatic. Poor cinematography, and a cheesy as Hell final speech but, I had a good time watching. The only ridiculous beyond belief moment in the movie was, it had an FBI that cared, and wasn't totally corrupted like in real life.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/06/22

Full Review

Audience Member

If you enjoy the prison genre, you'll enjoy this movie. It's what you're most likely looking for. I'd rank them: Shawshank, Oz, Shot Caller, In the name of the father, starred up, then Felon - but like I said - if you're looking for a good prison movie this is 100% one of them.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

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Ric Roman Waugh

Director

Stephen Dorff

Wade Porter

Val Kilmer

John Smith

Harold Perrineau

Lt. Jackson

Marisol Nichols

Laura Porter

Anne Archer

Maggie

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45%

29%

Winged Creatures

80%

52%

The Advocate

88%

87%

Boy A

81%

90%

Gran Torino

TRAILER

for Gran Torino

54%

39%

Explicit Ills

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Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 4/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Noel Murray

AV Club

It's still white-knuckle tense, and held together by dozens of small, well-observed moments.

Rated: B

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Martin Tsai

New York Sun

“Felon” would have been noteworthy had we not seen it all before.

Apr 21, 2023

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

An emotionally intense and powerfully strong film that assails one's sensibilities and mores, ... FELON touches our hearts and our minds, humanizing what and who many perceive as inhuman.

Nov 7, 2019

Full Review

C.H. Newell

Father Son Holy Gore

Explores how violence is endemic in the prisoner, no matter their background, almost as soon as their sentencing is handed down.

Rated: 4/5

May 5, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

A new convict (Stephen Dorff) struggles to maintain his sanity and sense of humanity after he's thrust into a prison system in which a brutal guard (Harold Perrineau) encourages gladiatorial combat between inmates.

Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Producer: Vincent Newman, Stephen Dorff, David Peters
Screenwriter: Ric Roman Waugh
Production Co: Stage 6 Films
Rating: R (Pervasive Language|Brutal Violence|Brief Nudity)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 18, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2012
Runtime: 1h 44m

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