Shot Caller review: Game of Thrones’ Nikolaj Coster-Waldau swaps Westeros for prison in this eye-opening and brutal feature.
This Friday for many there is only one film that matters at the cinema, Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi, but it isn’t the only new release out. Altitude have taken the bold move to release their latest movie, Shot Caller, the same weekend as Rian Johnson’s take on the popular space opera. Granted, Shot Caller is screening only in a limited amount of cinemas, but if you fancy something a little less mainstream, then this may very well be the film for you.
Typically a prison movie follows our protagonist as they go from hardened criminal to functioning member of society, here the reverse is the case. When we first meet Jacob, he’s a squeaky clean business professional with the perfect house, wife and young son. As the narrative progresses, the viewer follows Jacob’s metamorphosis into ‘Money’, a mean, dangerous, and heavily tattooed character whom soon works his way up the criminal ladder. With Shot Caller, director Ric Roman Waugh is sending a clear message that prison life can do just as much damage as good. It would be interesting to watch Shot Caller side-by-side with a more traditional redemption tale like American History X.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is almost unrecognisable as broker-turned-brawler Jacob, and is far removed from his more recognisable role of Jaime Lannister. Jacob isn’t as charismatic as our favourite one-handed hand of the Queen, and actually is a lot harder to like. It’s frustrating watching a man destroy his life in such cataclysmic ways, surely Jacob could survive on the inside without immediately changing everything about himself?