Slight spoilers.
The most obvious comparison is Scarface, of course. Scarface was an interesting movie, because it took a rather uncompromising, unglamorous look at a repugnant character -- one who had been glamorized in numerous other movies. The greatest pity is that some people STILL managed to view Scarface in that glamorous light.
Never Die Alone runs with that. It tempts you to empathize with the protagonist, a drug dealer who has been talking about redemption, righting his past wrongs, paying his dues, and making things right. The movie opens with his death, which is revealed to be brutal and arbitrary. However, as you learn about the man's life, you come to hate him, realize that he's a monster, and all his talk of "redemption" is just bullshit. King David is a despicable sociopath, and watching him ruin the lives of everyone else in the movie is not an easy thing.
It's a powerful story, but there are some problems. First, it's a bit preachy. Second, the pacing can get a bit slow at times. The sex scenes, in particular, struck me as a bit boring. The brutality may bother some sensitive viewers. It's not the violence itself that's so disturbing; rather, it's that the violence is depicted realistically. There are consequences to the actions taken, and they are far-reaching, rather than the traditional Hollywood consequence-free violence that solves every problem. Many people have criticized the acting, but I thought it was fine. The directing wasn't exactly inspired, but I like Dickerson. His style isn't artistic or showy, and I doubt he'll ever transcend his B-movie roots, but his gritty, retro-blaxploitation influences work for me.
The most obvious comparison is Scarface, of course. Scarface was an interesting movie, because it took a rather uncompromising, unglamorous look at a repugnant character -- one who had been glamorized in numerous other movies. The greatest pity is that some people STILL managed to view Scarface in that glamorous light.
Never Die Alone runs with that. It tempts you to empathize with the protagonist, a drug dealer who has been talking about redemption, righting his past wrongs, paying his dues, and making things right. The movie opens with his death, which is revealed to be brutal and arbitrary. However, as you learn about the man's life, you come to hate him, realize that he's a monster, and all his talk of "redemption" is just bullshit. King David is a despicable sociopath, and watching him ruin the lives of everyone else in the movie is not an easy thing.
It's a powerful story, but there are some problems. First, it's a bit preachy. Second, the pacing can get a bit slow at times. The sex scenes, in particular, struck me as a bit boring. The brutality may bother some sensitive viewers. It's not the violence itself that's so disturbing; rather, it's that the violence is depicted realistically. There are consequences to the actions taken, and they are far-reaching, rather than the traditional Hollywood consequence-free violence that solves every problem. Many people have criticized the acting, but I thought it was fine. The directing wasn't exactly inspired, but I like Dickerson. His style isn't artistic or showy, and I doubt he'll ever transcend his B-movie roots, but his gritty, retro-blaxploitation influences work for me.