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In Hell is directed by Ringo Lam (City on Fire, Maximum Risk). The screenplay was written by Eric James Virgets and Jorge Alvarez. The cast includes Jean-Claude Van Damme (The Last Mercenary, We Die Young) Lawrence Taylor (Shaft, Any Given Sunday), Alan Davidson (Frailty, 13), Chris Moir (Will to Power, Hatchetman), Billy Rieck (Crocodile 2: Death Swamp, Shadow Fury), Kaloian Vodenicharov (Ghosts of War, The Russian Specialist), Marnie Alton (Replicant, Cult of Fury) and Lloyd Battista (The Silent Stranger, Blindman). It is about an inmate who is forced to fight other prisoners to their death so that the prison warden can watch these battles. The man struggles to survive in these brutal conditions.
The scheming done in In Hell is nasty, dirty, and around the point. Kyle (Van Damme) is making every effort to work in Russia and it seems it is never enough for his wife Grey (Alton). Kyle’s next calculated move is to take a holiday and spend some time with her when a few hours into the drive he receives a phone call. At the other end his wife is being attacked. He makes it home only to find out she is dead. The man responsible, Sergio, is being released, so Kyle makes his move and ends up killing him. Kyle, in return, is sentenced to life imprisonment in a merciless prison run by Hruschov (Battista).
Moir portrays Billy as a young man tormented by Andrei’s continuous violence and abuse. Kyle, on the other hand, becomes acquainted with the paralyzed veteran prison inmate Davidson. Following a fight with Andrei, Kyle is punished with solitary confinement, where he meets Taylor and ultimately begins to trust him. Kyle learns that he must summon every ounce of willpower and rely on his new friends, for he has to survive and figure a way out of the prison.
Most of the characters in the movie are well percepted albeit a few fallacies here and there. Kyle plays the role of the antagonist perfectly. In the beginning, he is a well-mannered man who does not receive enough attention from his wife and seeks it elsewhere. A man feared and subject to unprovoked violence is now a repeal for everything fight ever envisioned while thinking about his dead wife. His transformation is very much believable.
451 is your average character that does not differ from the norm. He used to be aggressive, but now he is a reformed writer and does not prefer conflict. All he wants is some peace and quiet throughout his time in prison. This character is very template-based but still manages to serve his purpose. Billy and Malakai are characters that can also be placed in the same category, and they are credible enough to be in this setting. However, Hruschov is definitely an abdominal dull character, as he is just another name for the plethora of corrupt wardens that lack personality.
In Hell has some solid performances by the cast as Van Damme adds even more depth and emotion than what has previously been shown. Moir, Taylor, and Davidson are all advanced as well. Miss the mark is the only phrase that applies to Battista.
The drama is astounding, Kyle’s transformation of movie aesthetics into a mere brute for the best part of the movie is a complex one that is beautifully rendered with Van Damme’s emotive, restrained performance as well as the grief he displays and the soundtrack. Action is shot in an ultra brutal fashion with the style of movement being of sheer savagery. Every fight in the ‘Sparka’ is like an uncontrollable underground fight with no respect among fighters and their abusers who make them fight.
There are prisoners in combat that die and the beatings as well as fights are bone-breaking and soul-shattering. It is even more shocking in a film with Van Damme that more often than not he is the one getting beaten up and isn’t able to land a punch on his aggressors. This is beautifully crafted against type for the action star.
Technically In Hell is of a very decent quality. The conversations between him and Kyle would have made for even better acting from Van Damme and less of a feeling of someone telling the viewer how to feel. The action shots are very well done which is one of the most important aspects, and the camera work is good as well.
There is a bit of work needed in between the fights as that area is rather boring, but the prison itself is really well done with each cell and its dimmed lights and cracked walls making it feel lonely and punishing. The colour scheme is especially clear in all of the scenes that take place in the prison fields and farmland surrounding it.
In Hell is a decent prison movie accompanied by a fantastic understated and emotional performance from Jean-Claude Van Damme. The setting is well showcased, but a few of the characters do seem flat. The movie is riddled with cliché from time to time, but it is alright, which is what matters.
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