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Cast: Olivia Wilde, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Dash Mihok, Nick Stahl, Daniel Franzese
After a revenge killing goes tragically wrong, a troubled college professor (Nick Stahl of ''CarnivĂ le'' and Terminator 3) is sentenced to a psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane. But through an experimental socialization program, he meets a beautiful fellow inmate (Olivia Wilde of TRON: Legacy and ''House M.D.'') with a shocking secret as well as a volatile psychopath (Dash Mihok of Punisher: War Zone and The Perfect Storm) with a deadly history. In a place of sudden violence and buried emotions, can two damaged souls now make one last stab at redemption?
Allen Meneric is committed to a psychiatric institution for the criminally insane because of a brutal revenge murder. There he is forced to deal with the very ill and the dangerous until, as part of a socialization program, he is transferred to minimum security where he meets Mia, a beautiful bipolar female inmate. Ever haunted by his past, Allen seeks his redemption when sudden events demand that he protect Mia from the violence and chaos of the institution. For most of it's run time the film is pretty much a drama that deals with Allen attempting to cope not only with his current situation but also his tragic past which we get little pieces of in flashbacks until towards the end of the film when the truth is revealed. Allen must also deal with a psychopath who gets more violent as the film moves along, this is when the suspense really begins to kick in.
The film reminded me of "ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST" without such a big cast or humor. Director, D.W. Brown does a great job at telling an engaging tale as well as building some nice suspense off the early drama. He also did a great job at getting the most out of his talented cast, Nick Stahl is a talented actor and he does a terrific job here playing the lead. Olivia Wilde is also very good but her role is pretty limited as far as how much her character is used.
"On The Inside" may not be a great film but it's a solid thriller that doesn't waste any time in getting the audience involved. It's a story of a man with a tragic past who is looking for redemption. I really enjoyed this little gem and I recommend it to anyone that likes a good thriller.
Released by Anchor Bay Entertainment
*** 1/2 Out Of *****