2009 · drama · crime
A Prophet
Directed by Jacques Audiard2h 35m2009
Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group.
Our read: A Prophet (2009) reads as a heavy, steady, grounded drama · crime entry — extreme in intensity, mid-stakes in scope, cold in temperature, nihilistic in outlook, with a strong directorial signature.
Heavy, steady, extreme drama / crime, grounded in texture. Nihilistic, mid-stakes, cold.
- heavy
- extreme
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Availability in the UK · via JustWatch
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How A Prophet feels to watch.
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“You want a patient French prison rise with brutal moral calculus.”
Skip it tonight — Subtitled prison violence is too heavy for your tired two hours.
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