Call it a London gangland drama or a prison revenge thriller, “OFFENDER” is a masterpiece in terms of acting from its lead character. Even though the plot falls flat, the performance of new talent Joe Cole (as a hothead guy) almost single-handedly pulls off this action suspense thriller.
Director Ron Scalpello, in his maiden attempt, set up a plot against the backdrop of the 2011 London riots but somehow fails to put a hard punch on the corrupt justice system. Well, the story of the Offender tells us about an average working man Tommy Nix (played by Cole) who lives with his pregnant girlfriend, dreaming of a happier life ahead.
Watch the trailer here for “Offender”
For Tommy, his girlfriend Elsie (Kimberley Nixon) and the unborn child were his life until the ill-fated day when he loses everything as a result of a brutal attack by an armed street gang, who were also responsible for a murder during the London riots. The attack results in Elsie miscarrying.
To take revenge on those offenders, when Tommy learns that they have been sentenced to jail, he decides to get arrested so that he can enact his revenge on the gang who brutally beat up his girlfriend. What follows is all prison drama with Tommy’s quest for vengeance.
He has to face the everyday violence-prone life inside the prison while giving it all to reach his mission. Under a tough and unforgiving environment, he will stop at nothing to punish those that destroyed his life.
Although Offender doesn’t stand up to the likes of the French prison film “A Prophet” and Alan Clarke’s 1979 film “Scum”, it has its saying when it comes to the lives of young criminals, particularly their rage and bitterness toward the justice system.
Starring: Joe Cole, Kimberley Nixon, Shaun Dooley, and English Frank
Directed by Ron Scalpello
Written by Paul Van Carter
Cinematography Richard Mott
Release Date: 8 August 2012
Where to watch Offender (2012)
