Felon

Stephen Dorff stars as working-class family man Wade Porter, convicted of involuntary manslaughter after accidentally killing a burglar during a botched home invasion. Sentenced to three years in a maximum-security prison, Wade is routinely brutalized by both the facility's sadistic head guard (Harold Perrineau) and other inmates. Gradually, Wade falls under the influence of serene cellmate John Smith (Val Kilmer), a notorious mass-murderer and the prison's resident philosopher. With Smith showing him the ropes, Wade toughens up in order to survive what promises to be a horrendous, protracted ordeal. Stuntman-turned-director Ric Roman Waugh has clearly studied HBO's Oz, as the film's depictions of “convict culture” borrow liberally from the popular series. Even so, Felon boasts a strong sense of realism (the film is based on events that took place at a California prison in the ‘90s), with Dorff offering one of his best starring turns to date, and a beefy Kilmer wisely underplaying his flashier role. A strong optional purchase. (E. Hulse)