The Prison Industrial Complex is a worldwide phenomenon that seems to have been with us just about Forever; and Hollywood (among many others) has milked the idea for just about all it's worth; hence, the all-too-familiar chain of events depicted in THE KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND. The names and the faces may be new to us, but the transgressions are as old as the Institution(s). But that doesn't mean that THE KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND is just another run-of-the-mill prison movie; it's not: it's an exceptionally well-crafted look at what happens to two young inmates- Erling and Olav- and those with whom they come into contact. That it's "based on a true story" makes it even more compelling. It's too bad that more movies of this caliber aren't produced: THE KING OF DEVIL'S ISLAND reaffirms one's faith in the possibilities of solid filmmaking.
Review of King of Devil's Island
