Caged (I) (2021) User Reviews

Why?

[gab-67599 · 4/10 · 23 March 2022]

I totally understand why ppl make films to educate others on something they have never experienced before. But They have meaning, like a movie about endangered birds, so then you go out and donate to the bird cause. As a woman who has been in segregation myself this movie was something I though I would check out. The actor in this movie was very good and personally the only reason why I kept watching until the end. This movie was not sure if it wanted to be a drama or a horror. The c.o in this movie was nice compared to the ones I've encountered! So again I ask why? What was the point of giving someone a BORING look into how ppls can easily go nuts the more isolated they are? To teach you to never go to jail and be segregated?

Now as for the movie it is an hour and some change full of a guy in a cell for murdering his wife. We watch him in his cell the WHOLE time and nothing ever happens to him worth seeing. I will be looking for more movies with this lead actor but that is about it. I would not recommend watching this movie even IF you have the time to kill this one is just so pointless.

Ill thought out

[Stanlee107 · 4/10 · 5 February 2021]

This is a prison drama where the protagonist spends most of his time in solitary confinement. Cue the clichéd sadistic prison guard as the protagonist piece together the crime for which he is convicted.

It could have been great but I did not buy into that. I think the film maker wants the viewer to side & sympathise with the "seemingly wronged" protagonist but it also poses the question that if he be was guilty then does that becomes null and void.

Hallucinogenic solitary confinement

[tazkykamen · 5/10 · 22 November 2022]

This unclassifiable movie is not a low-budget mystery horror about murder, but in fact a visually highly stylized attempt to show the psychological inability to bear solitary confinement in prison. The reason for the imprisonment itself is played out in flashbacks and is rather unconvincing. However, the problem is that the plot cannot move from its place and the relationships between the characters do not undergo the necessary dramatic changes. The best part of the movie -suggestive hallucinations, is thus wasted. It should be appreciated that despite the fact that the camera mostly captures one person in a cell, it is quite inventive along with the editing.

SIgh....

[pensacolacomputer · 1/10 · 26 January 2021]

Another trash Hollywood movie....Is Covid responsible? Or something else? Why does Hollywood keep pushing this garbage down our throats?

Movies have gotten SO BAD in the past year or so, I have started watching older movies from the 80s 90s and 2000s.....They are usually MUCH better and the actors can actually act in those movies...unlike the movies Hollywood is churning out lately...

WAKE UP HOLLYWOOD...Quit pushing your agenda on us

It's not mine

[nogodnomasters · 3/10 · 3 March 2021]

Dr. Harlow Reid (Edi Gathegi) has been found guilty of murder. He claims innocence while we get flashbacks to the incident. His wife (Angela Sarafyan) was having an affair because he is a control freak. While in prison he draws the ire of Officer Starks (Melora Hardin ) who uses mental and physical torture on him, placing him in solitary for an extended period of time. During this period, Harlow relives the incident and goes off the chain.

The film was intended to show us how cruel solitary is for prisoners. If they were all innocent and framed by a sadistic guard, sure. But the film never explains what punishment should be enacted to people who are already in prison for rule violation.

Guide; F-word. No sex or nudity.

2

[Edvis-1997 · 2/10 · 28 January 2021]

Wel... I don't really know what I've just watched. It had bad visuals,pretty sad acting,it was impossible to understand plot line, sounding was bad. It's pretty bad start for 2021. The scariest thing is that on the right of film tittle it says I it means there will be second part for this trash. Don't watch it....It's useless movie.

The downward spiral

[JoeHud · 27 January 2021]

Here we watch a man go insane from being in solitary confinement too long, hoping to enter or return to general population by signing a written confession of his crime to the warden of all people.

Was there no budget to hire a consultant of any kind? Even people who rarely watch movies or pay attention to news articles understand the basics of incarceration... There's jail and there's prison. You do your sentence in prison, and you go to court from jail. If the sentences are shorter than 2-3 years, sometimes you do it in jail. This movie said our hero here was in SHU (segregated housing unit AKA the hole), which is exclusive to prison, as is the term general population. Somehow we are to believe he was sentenced directly to SHU in prison from jail, but none of this is explained. Also we see basically one single guard on duty the entire time, as if she doesn't sleep or go home, and dozens of other glaring inaccuracies I can't list without spoiling the plot.

Big meh.

Just waste of time

[engmicheal · 1/10 · 28 January 2021]

Very poor movie and absolutely doesn't worth anybody time to watch it

had potential, didnt live up

[williamkelly-12810 · 3/10 · 28 January 2021]

Had a decent amount of potential but nothing really happened , it had some bad CGI and some stupid jump scares totally not worth watching

Advice for bad movie

[shalesh112 · 1/10 · 2 February 2021]

U can see this movie in 10 minutes . Nothing there Just forward

Infuriating.

[robdcrotts · 2/10 · 15 May 2022]

Yet another movie where people do not say what needs to be said, never stand-up for themselves or explain why something is the way it is, logically or irritatingly like someone in that situation in real life. By the end of the movie, I didn't care about or like any character in it.

"My mind playing tricks on me"

[nurselife-67586 · 8/10 · 15 January 2022]

The mind is so powerful. A person doesn't know how they will react in an overwhelming stressful situation until they experience it. The mind will find different ways for the person to cope. Whether it's memory lost, delusions or psychotic break Downs.

The director did an amazing job with the tools and resources he had. There are people in the world going through this and society has labeled them as "mentally unstable" when their mind is only trying to cope.

Enjoyed the movie and the meaning behind the movie. You do not need a psychology degree to know this a great depiction of what a small percentage of your mind is capable of.

Review from a former correctional officer...

[alex-harris-love · 6/10 · 27 November 2021]

As a former prison guard in a Texas maximum security state penitentiary in a department where inmates were housed in single cells and some experience as an inmate myself, I found this movie to be worthy of a watch. It is sad as it depicts a man who had his life together and was ultimately found at the wrong place at the wrong time and his leering insanity causes him to question what is real versus what he is imagining. The movie is quite captivating especially given that half of it takes place depicting what he is experiencing in his cell (which is a very accurate depiction similar to real life) and the majority of the rest of the movie is based on his memory of what landed him in prison. The ending would seem happy as he is ultimately released and proven innocent but on the same token, he must live without his wife which is sad in its own right. The writers and producers seemingly did a lot of research to portray an accurate showing of what life is like for both officers and inmates in a prison where segregation is provided as well.

Amateurish

[wmaryquinn · 1/10 · 4 September 2022]

This is a very low budget film, and it is apparent from the first scene. The acting is atrocious, the dialogue is grating, the camera work look like it was the product of an IPhone 2, and the plot leaves much to be desired. The film is a poor attempt to demonize White people, casting them as brutalizes or uneducated people in positions of power. It is one of the many attempts to promote Black actors and Black films, but doesn't want to allot the necessary funds needed. What the producers and directors need to understand is nobody cares about the skin color of the cast, as long as the movie is good. It is defeating the purpose to flood streaming venues with poor quality films in a sad attempt to diversify the film world.

Seen it in other "message" movies

[asmith195 · 1/10 · 11 November 2021]

No creativity. Terrible plot. Marginal acting. If you're stuck and you must sit through it, don't tell yourself that at least you'll know what the deal is at the end. No you won't! You'd be better off just walking out. Too bad we can't get our money back for horrible movies.

ugh could be so much more but it is just another drama movie

[momomojojo · 2/10 · 30 January 2021]

Ugh acting is OK but not much, the dramatic getting insane action is just too much, but it is a good build up. give an insight on how prisoners goes to drive insane especially when power is misused

THIS FILM DELIVERS...

[Nora_taylor · 8/10 · 1 February 2021]

Prison films are usually not my thing but this movie is so much more. I love to delve into the psyche and this movie gave a thoughtful and realistic view of a mind spiraling into insanity. The acting was superb and the writing was so realistic that I found myself immersed in the drama of life in solatary confinement. Gathegi's portrayal of the Harlow character was riveting. I found the closing scene very provacative, inspiring a conversation with varied interpetations of what happened to the character. I really enjoyed this film, and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates good entertainment with a thought provoking message.

Intense

[wymrlover · 7/10 · 31 January 2021]

I feel this movie needs a trigger warning. This movie was so intense, I cried and now want to move forward with my psychology major for awakening of solitary confinement. This movie really hit me hard for justice!

Exceptional Low Budget Drama

[jollyjumpup · 9/10 · 18 April 2021]

After watching this movie it was disheartening to read some of the harsh negative reviews here - obvious reactionary critiques venting general displeasure at Hollywood's current hunger for ultra low budget one location product as well as the overbearing influence of "woke" culture that has been embraced by all forms of media.

While recognizing that the woke movement has transcended its mission and become thoroughly annoying and that streaming platforms are cluttered with half-baked bargain basement productions, the fact that CAGED satisfies both of those agendas is a double plus rather than a negative.

Despite being low budget its production values are outstanding, from the cinematography to the acting, make-up efx, costumes and editing.

The director could not have done a better job. His creative camera angles and judicious use of exterior shots keep the oppressive subject matter from being more claustrophobic than necessary for the story. (He does a better job of that than master director Wajda did in Kanal!)

As for its missing the mark on prison reality, it's a movie not a documentary. The jailhouse lawyers condemning this movie because it doesn't match their personal experiences to a T need to lighten up, or make a prison drama of their own.

This is a very auspicious debut for a new director. Let's hope the know nothing critics don't slow him down.

Superb Performances

[tdwillis-26273 · 6/10 · 16 February 2023]

Just like America, reviews are pretty one sided or the other.

Other reviewers give a great description of the storyline, so I'll just add a few opinions This does not deserve a current IMDb 3.5 rating.

For me, the point of whether solitary confinement is constructive let alone humane fizzled instead of popped because of the cliched "bad guard" character. (Although the actress did an outstanding performance) The reality would of been much more powerful. Assigning one person to be the protagonist was too simplistic with no direction to go with my sympathy.

Otherwise, the acting was SUPERB.

Thoughtfully directed. Camera,sound,lighting...all done professionally.

That is all.

AN EXCITING NEW VOICE

[alex_pom · 9/10 · 1 February 2021]

Thrilling, fast paced, and a very enjoyable watch are the first things that come to mind after viewing Caged. The cast is phenomenal. Gathegi's heart felt performance shoulders the dramatic weight of the film. Is Caged flawless, no. But... if you're a film fan looking to discover a talented new director, this film is one you should definitely see. The film is difficult to watch at times. In just under 90 minutes, the director makes a series of big choices that limits the perspective of the audience, creating a hypnotic atmosphere that's both claustrophobic and disturbing. Sticking to the protagonist's POV throughout film is bold, a decision that definitely makes this film seem fresh and unlike other prison projects. Would I have liked to see the supporting cast developed more, sure, though it would be a different movie, one I can't honestly say I'd be more excited to see. This seemed like a film with limited resources that cleverly leaned into a very relatable story about isolation. The filmmaker cultivated a legitimate sense of dread that stuck with me long after the credits rolled. I look forward to seeing what this director and his team do next.

Thought provoking movie. A must see

[ana-88888 · 10/10 · 1 February 2021]

Our family just watched Caged 2021 - didn't know what to expect, Wow, what an amazing and relevant movie. Makes a person stop and think about what injustices there are in this world. Sends a very powerful message and educates you about issues that you never knew existed.

What an impressive accomplishment by Director Fjellman. The credits on this movie show that he had several roles that made this movie so good, he was more than Director, he was obviously very passionate about the thought provoking content.

Really enjoyed this movie and can't wait to see what else this Director has in store next.