A graphic and brutal fight for survival - by Moataz Al Mousawi - 8/10

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A Prayer Before Dawn is a film based on a memoir written by Billy Moore. It tells the true story of Billy as he is sent to a prison in Thailand, where he will endure a lot of horrific events, and survive to tell his tale. Director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire wastes nothing in his attempt to show just how gruesome living in a prison in Thailand can be. The movie doesn't hold back in that regard, and even goes as far as to shoot from within Nakhon Pathom prison in Thailand. Extremely low hygienic standards, overpopulation to the point where over thirty prisoners are tightly jammed together in a single room akin to sardines in a can, and the constant threat of violence from thugs and corrupt officials are among the many difficulties that Billy had to face. He witnessed murders, gang rape, stabbings, and suicide during his stay. Moreover, he is a British citizen who had moved to Thailand, and barely knows the language. This sense of loneliness and being lost is highlighted in the movie thanks to the director's approach. The vast majority of the cast are speaking Thai, and there are no subtitles for the most part. It felt very confusing and frustrating to watch all these events happen without understanding what the people are violently screaming, but then it hits you. I had to sit through just 2 hours of this confusion, while Billy Moore had to live through this for three years. In addition to all of his troubles, he was suffering from an addiction problem to crystal meth and yaba (literally translates into mad drug, tablets that contain a mixture of methamphetamine and caffeine). His ultimate salvation would be his passion and love for boxing. In addition to a good director, the film needed a strong lead to carry it through. Luckily for all of us, "Peaky Blinders" and rising star Joe Cole was more than up to the task. A terrific and very physical performance that leaves me looking forward to watching what he will do next. A Prayer Before Dawn is a very visual representation of how horrific and brutal life in a prison can be. It doesn't shy away from displaying all the traumatic incidents that Billy had to undergo, and excellently proves itself as a good prison drama and boxing movie.

By Moataz Al Mousawi