If it wasn't for the ever-lingering problem of shaky sound mixing - particularly in the case of dialog recorded after the fact - in Norwegian film this would be rated 10 or even 15 points higher. I can't accept it when the American film industry has had the technique nailed for at least half a century. That said, it's a great film that suffers from occasional annoying flaws that don't really matter to anyone but a critic. Watch it.

Strong drama with excellent performances from the young cast and stunning cinematography. It's a tale we've heard before, but here it is told very well, even poetically at times. Nice score too.

"King of Devil's Island hits the familiar plot points most prison films cherish (escape attempts, riots, chase sequences), but Hoist's keen directing abilities prove that worn-out film genres can be advanced with the right casting and setting." - Glenn Heath Jr.

islah evi, norvec, baski, taciz, tecavüz, intehar

Brutal, grim and very, very tense, but never heavy handed or exploitative.

This Norwegian drama featuring some impressive claustrophobic cinematography follows a group of boys who need to be converted to 'proper' Christians in a boot camp on a remote island. One of them, a whaling-boat harpooner, stirs a violent uprising against the oppressive regime in the Bastoy Boys Home when a boy is molested by one of the house fathers. While the story has been told in many other films, The King of Devil's Island's imagery and performances make up for the lack of originality.