This comedy is as black as the ace of spades, with Beria issuing detailed orders about the manner of the executions being carried out, and with an understandable air of paranoia amongst the scheming Politburo plotters, any of whom was at risk of being denounced and shipped off to Siberia or worse. The film has not gone down well in Russia, where the Ministry Of Culture has apparently considered banning it, an act worthy of Stalin himself.
Jack O’Connell plays Eric, a 19 year old convict, who gets ‘starred up’ – meaning he gets ‘promoted’ from juvenile detention to adult prison – in his case 2 years early due to his extremely violent behaviour.
There is no other backstory – we join when Eric arrives in the new prison and experience first hand how he endures and persists in this prison – the same one his father has already been in for 14 years.
Terry Gilliam teaming up with Christopher Waltz and Tilda Swinton?! Bring on the next Twelve Monkeys!
Oh boy… what a failure this movie is…