I know artists are a bit crazy, but art thieves?
Inside is a 2023 psychological thriller film written by Ben Hopkins and directed by Vasilis Katsoupis in his feature directorial debut. The film follows an art thief (Willem Dafoe) who is trapped inside a luxury penthouse, slowly losing his grip on reality. I watched this nutty film on Amazon Prime Video and I must say, it is very weird.
Nothing beats watching Willem Dafoe going crazy when he's trapped, alone, in a luxury penthouse full of expensive art. I give Ben Hopkins credit for trying to keep this story interesting. It must have been a challenge to write the screenplay. Just how many ideas can one come up with to keep our art thief busy for the weeks (months?) he's trapped inside a penthouse that looks like a museum in Soho. One rich dude owns that place.
The theme is obvious, not to say well-intentioned. Defoe's character, Nemo, says it aloud in voice over. "Cats die, music fades, but art is for keeps." (Nemo, looking rather worn and aged for an art thief, tells a story of his childhood, in which a teacher asked him to choose three things to save in a house fire. Rather than his family, Nemo selected his cat, an AC/DC record, and his sketchbook. He reflects that the cat died and he lent the album to an acquaintance who did not return it, but he still has the sketchbook.)
My only reaction is this: being an artist is a lonely choice, we are often isolated and alone in our work. Only other artists appreciate our desire to create. Many think we are foolish. We are all broke. I can relate to being trapped.
