X
- 2018
- R
- A24
- 1 h 56 m
- 2018
- R
- A24
- 1 h 56 m
Summary A Prayer Before Dawn is the remarkable true story of Billy Moore, a young English boxer incarcerated in two of Thailand’s most notorious prisons. He is quickly thrown into a terrifying world of drugs and gang violence, but when the prison authorities allow him to take part in the Muay Thai boxing tournaments, he realizes this might be hi...
Directed By: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
Written By: Billy Moore, Jonathan Hirschbein, Nick Saltrese
- 2018
- R
- A24
- 1 h 56 m
- 2018
- R
- A24
- 1 h 56 m
A Prayer Before Dawn
76
7.0
Where to Watch
Summary A Prayer Before Dawn is the remarkable true story of Billy Moore, a young English boxer incarcerated in two of Thailand’s most notorious prisons. He is quickly thrown into a terrifying world of drugs and gang violence, but when the prison authorities allow him to take part in the Muay Thai boxing tournaments, he realizes this might be hi...
Directed By: Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire
Written By: Billy Moore, Jonathan Hirschbein, Nick Saltrese
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
76
88% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
12% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 17 Critic Reviews
76
88% Positive
15 Reviews
15 Reviews
12% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
For all the flying fists and the hero’s nightmarish predicament, the notions of redemption examined here are plenty deep. Add that to the bone-crunchingly effective technique and flawless lead performance, and you have yourself something very rare: a testosterone-driven narrative that’s about nurturing, rather than destruction. And one that achieves a bleeding-knuckled profundity.
Mr. Sauvaire’s approach may not be for everyone, but his skill and audacity are invigorating — and, strangely, liberating.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 34 User Ratings
7.0
71% Positive
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
26% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
3% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 34 User Ratings
7.0
71% Positive
24 Ratings
24 Ratings
26% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
3% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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At once exhausting and astonishing, this no-holds-barred adaptation of British junkie-turned-pugilist Billy Moore’s Thai prison memoir is a big, bleeding feat of extreme cinema, given elevating human dimension by rising star Joe Cole’s ferociously physical lead performance.
This movie is a remarkable feat that requires a strong stomach to sit through. I was unaware, prior to seeing it, that it’s based on a true story, and the movie’s coda was that much more powerful for me as a result.
What makes A Prayer Before Dawn so powerful is also what makes it so punishing.
A Prayer Before Dawn is concerned above all with ensuring that we share its main character's sense of dislocation and entrapment.
Director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire (Johnny Mad Dog) makes some audacious, impressionistic choices, focusing on the nexus of sensual and brutal, but this is the rare true story that really could have used some creative embellishment.
A Prayer Before Dawn is a harrowing yet beautiful fierce tale of addiction. Neither the description nor the trailer do it justice. While the premise is rather simple and almost cliché, its execution is what's truly exceptional. Sauvaire succeeds at creating a personal film with a natural flow, which paired with the extremely authentic production results in one of the most immersive experiences of the year.
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My one complaint with the movie is that it's not an entirely accurate depiction of Billy Moore's time in the Thailand prison system. It stays true to the essence of his accounts, but there are events here that are totally fictionalized. I get that this is a common occurrence in film, but given that this is marketed as the "true story" I would have preferred if it was actually, well, the true story.
This depiction of Moore's journey is still powerful though. We witness a man at his lowest point. Incarcerated in a place where he doesn't even speak the language, scrounging for heroin to feed his addiction, and witnessing horrible acts on a daily basis. The film pulls no punches when it comes to its portrayal of prison life. Every shot feels disgusting and dangerous.
It's through the prison's boxing team that Moore begins to find a place among his fellow inmates and chance at redemption. Giving the movie an uplifting quality amongst all the filth. That doesn't mean things ever get soft though. The blows traded onscreen are real. Actor Joe Cole trained extensively for the role to ensure that he could believably hold his own in the ring.
The authenticity doesn't end there. Every inmate in the film was a former prisoner at some point. Many of whom can't speak English. The movie does a great job of letting viewers experience the same language barrier troubles as Moore did. Much of the dialog goes untranslated. So when the attacks start happening we get a small taste of the same anxiety and confusion as to why.
Joe Cole's raw performance is a sight to behold. He embodies all the rage, guilt, and pain of his subject with such soul. Effectively making this story of finding humanity and hope in the worst of situations and places all the more compelling. It may not be 100% accurate, but Moore's story is made no less incredible because of it.
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It's a harrowing, crude and visceral prison film. It's not an easy film to watch.
I think it's a good film but you need patience to watch it because the narrative rhythm is very, very slow. And it's also a bit underwhelming because it pretty much goes on and on with the harsh situations to extend the dramatic momentum and it becomes a little bit exhausting at one point but still it's a good option, especially for the great performance by Joe Cole, which is definitely the best role of his career so far and that's pretty much it.
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Production Company
Senorita Films,
Indochina Productions,
HanWay Films,
Canal+,
Ciné+,
Meridian Entertainment,
Symbolic Exchange,
Hurricane Films
Release Date Aug 10, 2018
Duration 1 h 56 m
Rating R
Tagline Fight Your Way Out
Awards
British Independent Film Awards
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
Sakhalin International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
Camerimage
• 1 Nomination
