Goran Visnjic gives a sincere performance in the lead role, but really that is all that is halfway decent about K-11. And this was from actually seeing the movie and giving it a fair chance, so there goes that rather ignorant assumption. Some people probably didn't even see the trailer and saw it only for Visnjic, myself belonging in this camp. The script is confused, it is not sure whether it wants to have exploitation laughs or sombre tragedy. Instead it tries to incorporate both and neither work, the comedy being forced and can fall into the distasteful category for some and the tragedy being mawkish and you never care enough for the characters to genuinely feel it. Okay some of the grind-house punchlines are not so bad, but they are too far and between. The dialogue at best is tepid also. Another major failing is the story, it is slow and almost non-existent and you don't feel any of the tensions and fears of prison life. Part of the reason why you are not engaged with anything here is because the movie in an attempt to trying not to offend plays it too safe. There are also campy elements that are too artificially done and while the comic exaggerations are played for shocks, there was little that came across as genuinely shocking and instead it was too exaggerated and too overdone. There are cheaper-looking movies out there, however K-11 does nothing interesting with the photography or the single-room cell-block, they are just there with no signs of life. The music is pulpy and loud, but often overbears everything. I couldn't care less about who Jules Stewart's family is- that's never been an overriding factor in my judgement of movies, never has been, never will be and also it shouldn't be- what really matters is whether her involvement in K-11 worked in its favour. It didn't, it had intent sure but turned out to be every bit as confused as the script. Visnjic gives the only good performance, the rest struggle with the cardboard characters and give cartoonish caricatures in the process. All in all, apart from Visnjic- who deserved better than this- a messy movie that played it too safe and didn't know what to do with itself. 2/10 Bethany Cox