After being sentenced to five years at prison for marijuana, Ron, a young smart guy, struggles against coping with life in prison, where he suffered from the abuse he receives, but when he befriends Earl, a courageous mob boss, his life becomes better, as he saves him.
It's the relationship between Willem Dafoe, as Earl, the hard-time veteran, and Edward Furlong, as Ron, the new boy he takes under his wing, that makes the film so compelling.
Netflix
November 07, 2002
Prison flick from ex-con screenwriter is raw and realistic, with powerful acting.
"Animal Factory" shows in unflinching scenes of stabbings, race riots, drug use, attempted rape, and constantly boiling chaotic violence, how hardened criminals are formed by incessant molding inside American penitentiaries.
there are two reasons to fast-forward this offering when it's released on video: (1) Mickey Rourke's over-the-top bejeweled drag queen and (2) Tom Arnold's truly rotten performance as a baddy who has the hots for boy-buns. Roseanne's finally gotten her re
New York Times
January 01, 2000
A picture about adapting one's instincts, and Mr. Buscemi's deftness works well in this context.
TheMovieReport.com
January 17, 2010
The opaque performances offer little in the way of shading.
Similar to "Shawshank", "Animal Factory" is a far-less-established outing, but never the less interesting. Without the weighty support cast it mightn't have been as intriguing though, because there's a lack of depth missing from the screenplay
Entertainment Today
January 16, 2003
We may have seen this type of Animal before, but Furlong and Dafoe's work -- and Buscemi's honest, caring touch with these fringe-dwellers -- make it seem fresh.
