Inside
Directed by Vasilis KatsoupisNemo, a high-end art thief, is trapped in a New York penthouse after his heist doesn't go as planned. Locked inside with nothing but priceless works of art, he must use all his cunning and ingenuity to survive.
Cast of Inside
Inside Ratings & Reviews
- P. Logan4d agoAn intriguing concept that ends up artsy-fartsy by the end, with an inconclusive, unsatisfying ending. Willem Dafoe is exemplary as always.
- Kevin WardJuly 3, 2025High end art thief Nemo (Willem Dafoe) triggers a fail-safe lockdown mechanism during a heist of a luxury penthouse imprisoning him Inside. Nemo is left to scour his surroundings for resources for survival, and then to engineer his escape. Dafoe is as unhinged as ever (which is saying something) and watching his desperation in isolation is quite mesmerizing particularly when paired with the gorgeously artistic set dressing. But from the outset, it’s very clear that what we’re watching is not a narrative thriller, but a rather symbolic one steeped in obtuse metaphor. Nemo finds inspiration in the vast collection of art, then moves to destroying them to incorporate into his own creation. The pyramid sculpture he creates to aid his escape evokes imagery of the pyramid of transcendence/enlightenment. But at the same time he’s moving towards an inverted pyramid (the light fixture on the ceiling) which evokes images of Dante’s rings of hell. Is Nemo achieving transcendence through art, or does his isolation descend him into madness? Heaven or Hell? Parallels can be drawn to Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo who found freedom in his state of the art Nautilus submarine, but the isolation and disconnect from greater society also has an impact on his psyche. As I muse now about the film a good 18 hours later, I can tell the film effected me more than I initially felt when I exited the theater last night. I’m almost decided giving this a positive recommendation. But I think for a good portion of viewers, as the drama shifts from survivalist tension to artistic pretension, Inside becomes a bit of a grueling task to watch.
- Wes BrakeJune 1, 2025Worst movie Wilem Dafoe ever made
