Inside

Transferred from juvenile detention to adult prison, Mel (Vincent Miller) is tasked with writing an atonement letter to his deceased victim. As he attempts to untangle the strange and tragic memories that formed him and the overwhelming guilt from his childhood crime, he is inducted alongside and celled with Australia’s most infamous prisoner, Mark Shepard (Cosmo Jarvis).

Though sentenced to never-to-be-released at thirteen years of age, Shepard has only now been transferred to low security, amidst a public outrage that has resulted in a contract out for his murder. Now a Pentecostal preacher, Shepard sets upon saving Mel’s soul, enlisting him to play music for his Chapel services. When Mel erupts into a violent episode intended to jeopardise his parole, he’s paired with ‘reformed’ and soon-to-be-paroled inmate Warren Murfett (Guy Pearce). Despite a lifetime of prison rehabilitation, Warren is still hostage to his own volatility and addictions, which have now mired him in debts that threaten his last chance at freedom.

“Inside is very good from the start, but excels in its second hour, as the blood of the drama really starts flowing. It’s not always easy to watch, but nor does it whack us on the head with misery and moral turpitude; hope finds a way to creep in.” ~Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian

“A stirring exploration of personal struggle and institutional confinement, artfully blending restrained narrative devices with evocative visual storytelling.” ~Enzo Barese, Gazettely