Inside (2025) Film Review: Impactful Festival Best

Charles Williams’ deeply affecting prison drama, Inside, is one of the best films of the year, and is sure to be a festival favorite.

Mel (Vincent Miller) is used to being confined to prison. His father had been inside for various crimes throughout his life, so Mel was used to incarceration being a part of his family’s life. In a voiceover, we even hear the character say, “My mom said I got made in prison, so maybe it was always going to go this way.” After being transferred from a young youth offenders institution to an adult correctional facility, he only has one year remaining on his sentence until he’s up for parole.  

Then there’s the infamous Mark Shephard (Cosmo Jarvis, of Warfare), whom everybody at the prison hates. He’s serving a maximum sentence and has committed one of the worst crimes imaginable. Since being at the facility, he’s found God and is under the illusion that his sins can be forgiven. Shortly after Mel arrives at the penitentiary, he’s advised that Mark is his new prison mate. Yet early in the story, he seems to be the only person who doesn’t know what his new cell “friend” is in for. 

Lastly, we have Warren (Guy Pearce, of The Brutalist), who’s asked to watch over Mel and keep him out of trouble. At first, he has no interest in helping the young man. However, the new addition to the prison becomes a surrogate son of sorts to Warren. He’s desperate to reconnect with his actual son on the outside, who seemingly wants nothing to do with him. In fact, over time, both Warren and Mark become protectors to Mel, believing that as a young man with parole on the horizon, he can still build a future for himself on the outside. 

Inside presents the audience with three characters who have vastly different views of the world. Mel’s upbringing has had a profound impact on him, and as a result, he has become cynical. His parole is drawing nearer and will allow him to try and turn his life around, but he doesn’t believe he deserves it, so much so that he acts out in hopes of being kept on the inside. Mel feels as though prison is where he’s destined to be, and he doesn’t deserve a second chance. In his mind, he’s already written his future. 

Newcomer Miller handles the role of Mel with such care, balancing vulnerability, naivety, and cynicism in a profoundly powerful way. Often, the character says so much without even muttering a word. Even in silence, the audience is right there with him and can read his thoughts and feelings. The pain he feels is written on his face, even if he does try and hide it beneath the surface. 

In contrast, Mark is delusional in the sense that he thinks finding God will make his past disappear. Or at least, he’s convinced himself that accepting what he did and having a conscience about it will somehow heal him. Jarvis completely disappears into the role of Mark, and this is his best work to date. Knowing the devastating crime Mark committed and spending time with this character will evoke deep discomfort within viewers, especially when his delusions become increasingly apparent throughout the film’s runtime. Jarvis’ Australian accent is also remarkable. If someone watches the film and is unfamiliar with the actor’s previous projects, I think they’d be surprised to learn that the actor is a Brit in real life.  

True to form, Pearce gives a stellar performance as Warren. The character is a calculating individual who appears to be out for himself, which makes him unpredictable and, at first, somewhat unlikable. But after we spend more time with him, we come to learn of his backstory and his deep regret for a hit-and-run accident that put him behind bars. As a result, his son, growing up without a father by his side, carries a lot of resentment towards his father. Over the years, Warren felt too ashamed to let his son visit him at the facility and made sure that it didn’t happen. When Warren is tasked with looking after Mel, he realizes that the young boy is someone he can try and guide in the right direction. Something he never had the opportunity to do with his own son.

Writer/director Charles Williams has been known for his short films to date, and his feature debut, Inside, reinforces his incredible talent as a filmmaker. Within the claustrophobic walls of a prison, he introduces us to deeply flawed characters with distinct pasts and opposing perspectives. The film takes its time slowly unveiling details about each, making the viewing experience all the more gripping and thought-provoking. As cellmates sit and express their regret and thoughts of what could have been had they made better choices, you’re left considering that reality alongside them.

On the Inside Tribeca page, it is mentioned that Williams spent four years visiting various prisons to interview staff and inmates, and this dedication shines through in his screenplay. In this film he meticulously reflects the complexities of each multilayered character, while absorbing the audience in the narrative.

Inside is an emotionally heavy yet masterfully crafted film that unpacks feelings of guilt, hatred, regret, vulnerability, and acceptance. Not only is it the best feature of the festival; it’s one of the best of the year.

Inside (2025) had its North American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 7, 2025 and will be screened again on June 8-13. The film will be released in U.S. theaters, on digital and on demand on June 20, 2025.