On The Inside

Released By: Anchor Bay
Released On: 07/24/2012
Director: D.W. Brown
Cast: Nick Stahl, Olivia Wilde, Dash Mihok, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Daniel Franzese
Year: 2012
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The Film:

I guess if there's any lesson to be learned from D.W. Brown's film On The Inside, it's that carefully planning a homicide has its pros and cons. Allen Meneric (Nick Stahl) has viciously murdered the wrong man (con) in a fit of rage after his girlfriend is raped, but his lack of premeditation gets him a one-way ticket to a psychiatric hospital instead of a life sentence in prison (pro).

Once inside Northwood hospital, Allen quickly learns that his stay won't be an easy one when a flippant remark to the cuddly, oversized Ben Marshal (Pruitt Taylor Vince) elicits a subtle menace, and craft time gets ugly when Carl (Dash Mihok) decides to throw his weight around. Fortunately, Allen is recognized as somebody who doesn't belong there (within about four seconds) by a remarkably astute guard, and he is transferred to the minimum security wing. Again identified as not being a threat by a counselor in the woman's wing of the hospital, Allen is volunteered for one-on-one visiting sessions with inmate Mia (Olivia Wilde); a visit that goes south quickly when it coincides with an escape attempt by Carl and Ben. Making his way into the minimum security wing, Carl decides that he can put off escaping long enough to force himself onto Mia, bringing Allen full circle to confront his crimes.

Or something like that. The characters in Brown's screenplay are pretty transparent, and there's never really any doubt as to what purpose they serve in the context of the film. At exactly 90 minutes running time, there's no buildup, no suspense, no guesswork…Allen is imprisoned because of his murderous response to a rape, and his encounter with Carl and Mia is obviously set up as some sort of redemption. Each piece of the film, every character, from the guard who knows Allen's whole deal the minute he lays eyes on him, to the trusting counselor who has no issue with allowing two patients to hang out together, to the overly simple way that Carl and Ben are able to take control of the hospital and hijack the meeting, are laid out more or less like a children's book with some kind of moral. Even the reveal of Allen's mysterious childhood does nothing to add to the story; he's just a guy who has done the wrong thing a couple of times in life, and now has the chance to do something right.

Which is not to say that the film is terrible. The acting is competent enough, though the character of Allen is basically played with the “Wha???” mannerisms of every character Stahl plays; aloof, somewhat confused, peppered with occasional pointed outburst; likewise, Pruitt Taylor Vince is the slow fat guy, the Private Pyle of Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, without the depth that Vincent D'Onofrio brings; and Dash Mihok is Sam Rockwell's Wild Bill Hickock from The Green Mile. None of these characters are anything you haven't seen before, but they're completely inoffensive…and unmemorable.

Actor D.W. Brown, who you may remember as the Audio Consultant who pulled the dugout deflowering of Jennifer Jason Leigh in Fast Times at Ridgemont High gets a partial pass for doing a decent job of not completely bitching up his first feature film as writer and director, but he's going to have to step it up if he wants to make a name for himself behind the camera.

Video/Audio/Extras:

On the inside comes to Anchor Bay blu in a 1.78:1 transfer that looks grand. Black levels are solid, and the film looks cold and blue, working well with the theme of incarceration. The dialogue-heavy track doesn't get the chance to take full advantage of the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 atmosphere, but it's done well enough with good balance and dynamic.

The only extra on the disc is a feature commentary with D.W. Brown and actors Joanne Baron and Daniel Franzese; who are hardly in the film at all; that discusses the genesis of the film, Brown's past work experience and relationship with some of the actors, and working on the film itself.

The Final Word:

It's entertaining enough and directed competently, but Brown's writing feels more like a made-for-TV movie, rushed to fit in a story around too many commercials.

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!