Class, masculinity, violence and incarceration are all in for empathetic examination in Michael Inside, Frank Berry’s engrossing drama. Starring newcomer Dafhyd Flynn as naïve 18-year-old Michael, the film’s power lies in its realism. Extensively researched and workshopped with the Irish prison rehabilitation service Pathways, Michael Inside charts how easily hopelessness, poverty and prejudice can lead young men into prison.

Berry’s film isn’t making excuses – it’s clear that Flynn’s wide-eyed but monosyllabic Michael has made some bad choices. While on probation for taking a joyride with some friends, he agrees to stash some drugs, landing him a three-month sentence. Though Michael has survived the death of his mother and his father’s incarceration, he’s not hardened – on the contrary, he is vulnerable and afraid, and acutely aware that prison is not a place where you can just decide to stay out of trouble. Sneaking into his grandfather Francis’ room the night before entering prison, Michael sits on the bed, his voice quiet and cracking. “I won’t make it,” he murmurs.

The question becomes, how does anyone? As Michael faces threats and intimidation from another prisoner (Moe Dunford), Francis (Lalor Roddy, heartbreaking) is also being targeted by outside loansharks. If modern freedom relies on opportunities, money and a support system, and some people have none, how accountable are they for the decisions they make? Berry’s film addresses these points subtly, focusing on the intimately carved journey of his characters. Shooting with an almost uncomfortable intimacy, Berry constantly creates a sense of claustrophobia, closely framing his shots so that Michael is somehow always trapped by his environment. As we slowly learn more about Michael and Francis, and the danger facing both of them heightens, the emotional tension will leave you breathless.

Stunningly acted, never didactic and yet provoking endless important questions, Michael Inside is a searing portrait of a damaged system, and the boys we lose to it.

5/5