In neon-soaked exploitation drama, K-11, when record exec, Raymond Saxx (Goran VIsnijc) is brought into LA County Jail off his face, a turn of events lead him to being thrown into the titular unit reserved mainly for transsexuals and gay men considered a danger to society, presided over by the sadistic Lt. Johnson (D.B. Sweeney). Trying to prove his innocence, Saxx finds himself being dominated by the very personification of fire in stilettos, Mousey (Kate del Castillo), whilst becoming a father figure to the naive but unhinged Butterfly (Portia Doubleday).
Reminiscent of the bunched up fist that was Scum, First time director Jules Stewart (Yes, Kristen Stewart’s mum) seems to be on a dare; hell-bent on piling one taboo on top of another without really trying to advance the plot. Tonally It’s all over the place; sloppily strutting from high camp to evasive aggression in the blink of a false eyelash.
K-11 is a vicious film that tries to tackle so many subjects (drugs, rape, child abuse, homosexuality, loss of innocence), it never really manages to get a firm hold on anything in particular. A success in aggression, but a failure in any other department.
This review originally appeared in FilmInk.
John Noonan 