Tyrese Gibson, Terrence Howard, Jeremy Piven and Lil Yachty star in the action thriller, The System that shines a spotlight on the growing corruption of the private prison system and its modern-day practices of slavery and human exploitation.
The film follows the story of Terry Savage [Tyrese Gibson], a retired marine reduced to robbing drug houses to pay for his daughter’s medical expenses. When Savage gets busted, he’s offered the opportunity to redeem himself in exchange for going undercover to expose the corruption at a private prison lead by a sadistic warden [Jeremy Piven]. He is taken under the wing of inmate Bones [Terrence Howard] who teaches him how to survive and fight for his life in the system.
The gritty setting to the action thriller was filmed in an actual prison with real inmates that contributed to the intensity and believability of the film. “I think it was us filming in Mississippi, inside a real prison with real inmates that gave us everything that we could ever need. I mean there’s just certain environments that don’t really require any acting at all,” Gibson stated. The prison, Rankin County Prison located in Jackson, Mississippi is actually a place where prisoners go as a reward for good behavior. The facility didn’t want any money in order for the production to be filmed there, instead they insisted on a donation to the prison trustee program which provides laptops, clothing, and assistance on finding a job after they’re released. “We were more than happy to give back,” shared director Dallas Jackson.
Throughout the film viewers can see messages and scriptures posted on the prison walls such as “just because your pain is understandable, doesn’t mean your behavior is acceptable.” While corruption, modern slavery, and human exploitation is certainly and undoubtedly a growing issue in the private prison system, the film does also highlight the need for accountability. “Just because you’re in pain, it does not give you an excuse to bring other people into painful situations and that’s what I thought about that message, as harsh as it was there it was like, there’s a consequence for whatever you’re going through,” Howard shared.
The System is in theaters October 28.