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Animal Factory Details

2000 Certificate 15
  • Rated:
  • 50
  • from 5425 members

Set in San Quentin jail, ANIMAL FACTORY is a bleak prison drama where Edward Furlong plays young Ron a middle-class petty dope dealer who, in this hard violent environment, is befriended and protected by Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe in a strong chilling performance) a long term convict. Ron's comfortable upbringing proves .. Read more

Starring Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, Seymour Cassel, Mickey Rourke
Director Steve Buscemi
Genres Drama

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Animal Factory

Set in San Quentin jail, ANIMAL FACTORY is a bleak prison drama where Edward Furlong plays young Ron a middle-class petty dope dealer who, in this hard violent environment, is befriended and protected by Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe in a strong chilling performance) a long term convict. Ron's comfortable upbringing proves inadequate preparation for the harsh reality of a two year sentence behind bars, but with Earl's powerful help, he plans their escape.

Starring Willem Dafoe, Edward Furlong, Seymour Cassel, Mickey Rourke, Steve Buscemi
Director Steve Buscemi
Studio HIGH FLIERS
Run time DVD: 1 hr 31 mins
Certificate Certificate 15
Genres Drama
Language DVD: English
Released DVD: 15 Dec 2003
Production year: 2000
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (5) of Animal Factory

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  • 2 stars out of 5

    While not in the same league as actor Steve Buscemi's debut directorial feature Trees Lounge, his straightforward version of Edward Bunker's novel of the same name gets by on the fine performances of all concerned. Basically it charts the growing father-son relationship between hardened convict Willem Dafoe — the big cheese at a hard-boiled penitentiary — and new inmate Edward Furlong, as Dafoe teaches him about the power zones that constitute the prison's perilous infrastructure. Overly subtle and unsentimental in its depiction of life behind bars, it consistently feels dramatically undernourished because of this refined stance — the climactic escape attempt being the main casualty of Buscemi's less-than-sensational approach.

    • Radio Times
  • "...Uncompromising, truly chilling. Unsettles and fascinates. A far more powerful and realistic work than THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION..." UNCUT Film of the Month (Andrew Sumner)

    • Uncut
  • Most helpful member's review of Animal Factory

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  • 26 out of 27 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 3 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    Better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven.

    Eddie Furlong plays a 21-year-old from a rich family who is given a positively Draconian sentence in a maximum security prison for marijuana possession. Fortunately the top prisoner hauncho (Willem Dafoe) takes a fatherly liking to him and protects him from the predators who'd like a taste of fresh young meat. This film is much less violent than most recent prison flicks, but it has a compelling enough story and is carried largely by Furlong and Dafoe.

    It's not a bad effort but Shawshank it ain't.

    • JediSi
      • JediSi
  • Most recent members' review of Animal Factory

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  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    a let down

    there were we, expecting to be entertained, but, alas, it was not to be. what happened to the action, where was the story, and the ending was so poor it was laughable. this one i wouldn't recommend

      • A customer from shropshire
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    • Animal Factory
      Set in San Quentin jail, ANIMAL FACTORY is a bleak prison drama where Edward Furlong plays young Ron a middle-class petty dope dealer who, in this hard violent environment, is befriended and protected by Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe in a strong chilling performance) a long term convict. Ron's ...