Breaking Bad fans have been told to watch a film available on Netflix that has been dubbed by viewers as the ‘best prison movie ever’.
Receiving a cinematic release in 2017, Shot Caller has since been added to the streaming platform’s library. Thanks to its addition it has gained a new lease of life, although some who have viewed it on the service believe it is still not mentioned enough, especially considering its star-studded cast.
The film boasts many recognisable faces from some of the biggest and most popular titles on television and film. This includes Game of Thrones star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau who played the role of Jamie in the long-running fantasy saga. Alongside him are Jon Bernthal, who is set to reprise the character of The Punisher in the upcoming Daredevil series from Marvel on Disney+. Shot Caller also stars Mindhunter’s Holt McCallany and Army of the Dead’s Omari Hardwick.
Its story follows Jacob Harlon (Coster-Waldau), who is transformed from a well-off businessman into a hardened prison gangster in order to survive California’s penal system after he is jailed for his role in a deadly car crash. However his methods and lifestyle adopted to survive while behind bars follow him into his civilian life once he gets out on parole.
The journey the main character goes onto and moral questions it asks have welcomed comparisons to hit series Breaking Bad. One posted online their thoughts saying: “Breaking Bad aside, I can’t name a more intellectually stimulating, emotionally captivating and realistically compelling piece of nonlinear narrative.Â
“The cast and script were made for each other; Bernthal, Coster-Waldao, Hardwick, Jones and Lake are a thespian dream team in this master class in casting, directing, acting, filming and editing. How this film escaped Oscar nominations is beyond my comprehension.”
Another viewer commented on the hard hitting subject matter the film explores. They said: “Really quite good, and I was thinking about it a lot the next day. Hard to know or even imagine what one would do in these situations.”Â
It is also considered by many as “one of the best prison movies” with one fan adding: “It really packs a subtle punch! The performances were great all around and the music was gripping! You really get engaged with the main character and feel empathy towards him. I definitely could watch this movie a million times! It’s that good! I highly recommend.”
One fan claimed the film should be talked about more often. They commented: “I think this movie will go down as one of the best sleeper movies. It’s not underrated, but it’s not talked about enough either.
“The directing and editing are extremely effective at explaining backstory, character building and giving a strong sense of character motivation without relying on lazy scripts. The script is so well written. The writers were effective in limiting dialogue to allow the scene and actions speak for themselves.
“Zero fat on this script. The casting was spot on. What a wonderful job of pulling together a collection of actors we will all recognize who were able to convince us they were not acting. What an amazing job of reminding the audience that tragic mistakes can have tragic consequences and rather than live in denial, be brave.”
Shot Caller is streaming now on Netflix
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