A good cast and disciplined direction add some distinction to Ric Roman Waugh's Felon, which is basically the old tale about an innocent man corrupted by a stay in prison.
– Lou Lumenick,
New York Post,
18 Jul 2008
rotten:
Written and directed by Ric Roman Waugh, and filmed at the New Mexico State Penitentiary near Santa Fe, Felon is one of the most realistic prison films ever made.
– Stephen Holden,
New York Times,
18 Jul 2008
fresh:
Tough, brutish prison drama with an easy windup, but good acting and an uncompromising take on the prison system.
– John Anderson,
Newsday,
18 Jul 2008
fresh:
Stephen Dorff's powerhouse perf as an ordinary Joe trapped behind bars with warring ethnic psychopaths propels "Felon" well ahead of its expose/exploitation brethren while still avoiding the pious learning curves of Frank Darabont's prestige prison dramas
– Ronnie Scheib,
Variety,
21 Jul 2008
fresh:
It's still white-knuckle tense, and held together by dozens of small, well-observed moments.