HorrorHR Tamnica

Charlie Bronson, Britain's most violent prisoner, is a man with a calling. He just needed jail time to find it. In 1974, Charlie robs a post office and draws a seven-year sentence. But stone walls do not a prison make. His "hotel room" becomes an incubator for his art, which is violence. Taking a perverse glee in fighting, he's sent to a mental institution, where, drugged and drooling, he still musters defiance. His eventual release is short lived, and he returns to jail. Placed in an art class, Charlie creates his masterpiece. It is not a painting.

Overjoyed by his fame and ever-increasing capacity for harm, Charlie walks the cellblock beaming with pride. He has become somebody. He is—quite terrifyingly—the hero of his own story.

I needn’t have bothered though: “Bronson” is such a unique piece of work that it defies whatever expectations of it you have. And while it didn’t blow me away, I was thoroughly entertained and fascinated by the character study presented to us by both Refn and lead actor Tom Hardy.

The latter one should prepare to clear some space on his mantelpiece, because his performance as Britain’s most violent prisoner is bound to get him several awards…


Yes, every scene has Bronson in it, and this is why Tom Hardy is going to become mighty famous. He has to carry the movie from the first shot till the last, and not only does he manage to do this, he makes it look easy. His performance here is nothing short of stellar. Nicolas Winding Refn does the rest with some great use of colors and making the most of the available sets.