Rent Inside (2024)

Good Aussie prison Drama - Inside review by GI

A solid Australian prison drama that avoids the usual clichés about redemption and focuses on the relationship between three very different inmates. The narrative follows young Mel (Vincent Miller) who is transferred from a juvenile prison to an adult one when he reaches eighteen. He's naive but wrought with guilt over his past crime but does have the opportunity for parole. His cell mate is Shepard (Cosmo Jarvis), a notorious killer and born again christian who gets Mel involved in his church services. But Mel is taken under the wing of Warren (Guy Pearce), a lifer also coming up for parole, but who has big debts to a big time gangster in the jail. The price is to kill Shepard and Warren fsurprisingly inds he easily recruits Mel to do the job. The film centres on this trio as they navigate the system and each others emotional baggage. It's not a typical prison film and doesn't focus on violence but delves into the plight of these three who have lost their ability to deal with the complexities of relationships and the potential for renewing some on release. Jarvis is a very good here as the warped, somewhat challenged Shepard, and Pearce delvers a natural and committed performance as always. An interesting film with a few surprises.