''Dog Pound'' is a 2010

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and c ...

film directed and co-written by Kim Chapiron. It is a Canadian remake of the British

borstal A Borstal was a type of youth detention centre in the United Kingdom, several member states of the Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland. In India, such a detention centre is known as a Borstal school. Borstals were run by HM Prison Service ...

film '' Scum''. This is Chapiron's only film to go

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...

Plot

Butch, Davis, and Angel are teenagers who have been sentenced to Enola Vale

juvenile detention center In criminal justice systems, a youth detention center, known as a juvenile detention center (JDC),Stahl, Dean, Karen Kerchelich, and Ralph De Sola. ''Abbreviations Dictionary''. CRC Press, 20011202. Retrieved 23 August 2010. , . juvenile de ...

in Montana.

Correctional officer A prison officer or corrections officer is a uniformed law enforcement official responsible for the custody, supervision, safety, and regulation of prisoners. They are responsible for the care, custody, and control of individuals who have been ...

Sands does their initial intake, focusing on Butch, who has been imprisoned for attacking and blinding a correctional officer at another facility. Goodyear, a tough but fair officer, urges the new inmates to follow the rules and quietly serve their time so they can earn a second chance on the outside. At first Butch attempts to conform to the rules, but soon he and his friends are attacked by the chief bully Banks and his thugs, Eckersley and Loony. Refusing to reveal the names of his attackers, Butch is sent to solitary confinement. Once out, he immediately exacts revenge on Banks, Eckersley, and Loony. Butch saves the worst for Banks, who is savagely beaten. The beatings establish his rank among the inmates and offers temporary protection to his friends, Davis and Angel. During a routine painting job, Angel and Goodyear get into a physical altercation; Angel is thrown against the wall by Goodyear - striking his head against some pipes and later dies at the hospital. Butch, who was a witness to the altercation, is placed in solitary confinement while an investigation takes place. Without Butch's protection, Davis is raped by Loony and Eckersley. Davis tries to contact his mother during the night, but an officer denies his request, telling him he'll have to wait until morning. Feeling helpless, Davis goes back to his bunk, eventually committing suicide by slitting his wrists. The deaths of both Angel and Davis result in their dormitory going on a

hunger strike A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke a feeling of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most ...

during breakfast. After a stare-down in the cafeteria where tempers flare, Butch loses control, throws a chair and instigates a full blown

prison riot A prison riot is an act of concerted defiance or disorder by a group of prisoners against the prison administrators, prison officers, or other groups of prisoners. Prison riots have not been the subject of many academic studies or research inqui ...

where he brutally attacks Loony. The detention officers are overwhelmed and return to the cafeteria in riot gear, using

tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...

and plastic bullets in an attempt to end the riot. During the riot, Butch tries to escape the building, but is caught and beaten by the prison officers moments later, and is violently dragged back into the building.

Cast

Release

''Dog Pound'' premiered at the

Tribeca Film Festival The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive programming. Tribeca was f ...

on 24 April 2010. It was released in France on 23 June 2010, and in Canada on 7 September 2010. It was also released in the United States, Mexico, Switzerland (French speaking region only), Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Critical reception

Writing for ''

CinemaBlend Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...

'', reviewer Perri Nemiroff described the film as "intense" and not suited to the tastes of all viewers.

Awards

''Dog Pound'' is French director Chapiron's first English-language feature, and the film earned him an award as Best New Narrative Filmmaker at the 2010

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dog Pound 2010 direct-to-video films 2010s English-language films 2010s prison drama films 2010 psychological thriller films Canadian psychological thriller films English-language Canadian films Spanish-language Canadian films Canadian prison drama films Scanbox Entertainment films 2010s teen drama films Films set in Montana Films shot in New Brunswick Canadian independent films 2010 drama films 2010 films 2010s Spanish-language films 2010s Canadian films