Tahar Rahim delivers a strong performance in this bleak and brutal prison film. His character, Mailk, is an eighteen-year-old without the ability to read who finds himself incarcerated for six years after assaulting an officer. Upon entering, he has virtually no safeguards beyond what he's wearing. The institution operates under the control of Luciani, portrayed by Niels Arestrup – a man with Corsican roots and aroun…

This film excels across the board—the narrative is strong, the writing is excellent, the actors are superb, and their portrayals are outstanding. It ranks among the finest films I’ve seen recently.