Felon (2008)
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A blue-collar worker's life is upended when he is sent to a notorious prison for a crime committed in self-defense.
The story
Wade Porter, a blue-collar worker, is arrested and charged with murder after he kills an intruder in his home with a baseball bat. Seeking a reduced sentence for involuntary manslaughter, he enters a plea of no contest and is sent to prison. During the transport, a violent incident involving a knife leads to Wade being placed in solitary confinement. He is eventually moved to the Security Housing Unit, where he meets John Smith, a man serving a life sentence. Wade must navigate a brutal environment of inmate fights and corruption while his relationship with his fiancée, Laura, begins to fracture under the strain of his incarceration.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Wade Porter, a blue-collar worker, is arrested for murder after killing an intruder in his home. He accepts a plea of no contest for involuntary manslaughter, receiving a three-year sentence. During transport, a member of the Aryan Brotherhood stabs a man and hides the knife under Wade's seat, leading to Wade's placement in solitary confinement and later the Security Housing Unit (SHU). In the SHU, he meets John Smith, who is serving a life sentence. Wade discovers that officers bet on inmate fights. While Wade's relationship with his fiancée Laura deteriorates and his son Michael suffers from nightmares, Lieutenant Jackson falsely accuses Wade of being an accessory to the original murder, adding three years to his sentence. Enraged, Wade begins fighting for protection from the Aryan Brotherhood. Wade and Smith devise a plan to expose the prison's corruption. During a yard fight, Wade refuses to kill an inmate. Lieutenant Jackson attempts to attack him, but Smith kills Jackson by severing his femoral artery and throat. Another officer shoots and kills Smith. With the help of a retired correctional officer, the FBI, and Laura, the corruption is exposed. Wade's sentence is commuted, and he is released after 15 months to reunite with his family.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 104
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ric Roman Waugh
- Writers
- Ric Roman Waugh · writer; Ric Roman Waugh · director
- Cast and characters
- Stephen Dorff · Wade Porter; Marisol Nichols · Laura Porter; Vincent Miller · Michael Porter; Val Kilmer · John Smith; Harold Perrineau · Lieutenant Bill Jackson; Greg Serano · Officer Diaz; Johnny Lewis · Jake 'Snowman'; Nate Parker · Officer James Collins
- Genres
- crime; drama; prison
- Themes
- prison corruption; family strain; self-defense; injustice
- Tone and mood
- gritty; tense; dramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- prison drama; crime drama; based on true events
- Source material / true-story basis
- events that took place in the 1990s at the notorious California State Prison, Corcoran
- Reception
- The film received mixed or average reviews, with a 60% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 58/100 score on Metacritic. Critics noted it offered a hackneyed depiction of prison life but praised the performances and plot.
- Production trivia
- The convicted serial killer Clifton Bloomfield was featured in this film as an extra.; The production crew were unaware of his crimes until after filming was completed.; The film was set and filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 24 days.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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