Synopsis
Sentenced to six years in prison, Malik El Djebena is alone in the world and can neither read nor write. On his arrival at the prison, he seems younger and more brittle than the others detained there. At once he falls under the sway of a group of Corsicans who enforce their rule in the prison. As the 'missions' go by, he toughens himself and wins the confidence of the Corsican group.
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Cast
- Tahar RahimMalik El Djebena
- Niels ArestrupCésar Luciani
- Adel BencherifRyad
- Hichem YacoubiReyeb
- Reda KatebJordi
- Jean-Philippe RicciVettori
- Gilles CohenProf
- Antoine BaslerPilicci
- Pierre LecciaSampierro
- Foued NassahAntaro
Recommendations
- 100
Time Out
Why do we care? Because never before have the steps to thugdom, as depressing as that destination may be, been so rigorously detailed, neither romanticized nor negated. Don’t miss. - 100
Entertainment Weekly
There's also no romanticizing on the part of the director, who proceeds with calm, unshowy attentiveness (even in the midst of scenes of violence), creating a stunning portrait of an innately smart survivor for whom prison turns out to be a twisted opportunity for self-definition. - 100
Wall Street Journal
Uncompromising in its style, story and characterizations. - 91
The A.V. Club
A Prophet has been compared to American TV series like "Oz" for its episodic plot and large cast, but it’s more like a Gallic "Goodfellas": thoroughly absorbing, exciting, even poetic. It’s a full evening’s entertainment. - 80
Empire
A modern French crime epic where the smudges and crossings out do not diminish the passages of great dreamlike power. - 80
The Hollywood Reporter
What's most immediately remarkable about the film is the raw intensity of its hyper-realistic encounters, hugely enhanced by the superb acting of newcomer Rahim. - 80
Boxoffice Magazine
Whether audiences have the stomach for 150 minutes behind bars remains debatable, but there is no denying the persuasive power of a film that takes no prisoners and pulls no punches. - 70
The New Yorker
Jacques Audiard’s film, which lasts two and a half hours, maintains an unflagging urgency, stalling only when the double-dealing grows too dense.
