It’s been a long wait since Johnny Mad Dog helmer Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire stirred the festival pot last year with his latest entry into the arena, A Prayer Before Dawn. Joe Cole (Peaky Blinders, Green Room) stars in the new drama inspired by from Billy Moore’s autobiography of the same name echoing the true story of a boxer thrown in one of the most hellish prisons in Asia where he fights to redeem himself.
That tale has already been receptive to critics at Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, Screendaily and Indiewire among others and currently sits home at DirecTV Cinema for an exclusive on-demand run with 72-hour rentals for consumers as of last week. Folks who are a bit more keen on a theatrical release, however, are welcome to mark the date on their calendars for an August 10 select release courtesy of A24.
A Prayer Before Dawn is the remarkable true story of Billy Moore, a young English boxer incarcerated in two of Thailand’s most notorious prisons. He is quickly thrown into a terrifying world of drugs and gang violence, but when the prison authorities allow him to take part in the Muay Thai boxing tournaments, he realizes this might be his chance to get out. Billy embarks on a relentless, action-packed journey from one savage fight to the next, stopping at nothing to do whatever he must to preserve his life and regain his freedom. Shot in a an actual Thai prison with a cast of primarily real inmates, A Prayer Before Dawn is a visceral, thrilling journey through an unforgettable hell on earth.
Joe Cole is joined by Vithaya Pansringarm, Pornchanok Mabklang, Panya Yimmumphai, Somluck Kansing, Chaloemporn Sawatsuk, Komsan Polsan, Sakda Niamhom, Sura Srimalai and Patsapon Kaysornmaleethanachok.
