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Inside follows the story of Nemo (William Dafoe) as he is trapped inside a million dollar apartment when an art heist awry. Nemo is left to fend for himself and try to engineer his escape. Directed by Vasilis Katsoupis, Inside is an eager and clearly passionate attempt at creating a deep and meaningful film, yet falls short. The narrative was crafted to be parabolic but by the end, the main theme was muddled with a blend of histrionic art, incoherent minor themes, and inchoate elements.
The strongest component of Inside was by far Dafoe himself. Without him the film would not have been anywhere near as interesting or entertaining. Dafoe is such a versatile actor, able to shift from being a Marvel villain in one film to another where he’s a demented sailor. (He does much better acting insane than sane) He carried the movie on his back, no other actor could have done this film justice. At the outset Dafoe’s Nemo seemed normal, but take normal with a grain of salt as the opening lines of the movie are “Cats die. Music fades. But art is for keeps.” Dafoe perfectly illustrates a descent into madness which in a way resembled what we all felt during the 2020 quarantine and the pandemic: trapped in our homes and apartments, constrained by the confines of the world.
The film itself fantastically builds upon this premise of isolation turning it into one big art inspired narrative. However, by the third act, the main theme was blended and mixed in with other smaller themes making it into one big blob. It became confusing, especially as Nemo spiraled more and more into insanity. By the time credits rolled the audience in the theater was more confused than anything. It was by no means disappointing, as the movie lived up to expectations, however the ending did leave many open questions, whether intentional or not.
Inside is very well written and edited aside from a few minuscule inconsistencies. Dafoe didn’t disappoint and indeed exceeded all expectations, but when doesn’t he? His performance combined with amazing cinematography and editing, not to mention an incredible premise, all lead to a very solid film. It will not necessarily appeal to everyone, but it is a definite watch if playing near you. 9 out of 10 AuthorSean has been writing reviews for The Oscar Project since 2023. Check out all his reviews on his main review page. Follow him on Letterboxd (@Twiggz04).
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