Love Behind Bars

This Allherluv release from the team of director Ricky Greenwood and writer Maddy Burton takes a serious look at the Women in Prison genre, providing the requisite lesbian sex content while notably creating interesting characters played by talented actresses who stay in character, even during the XXX scenes.

There are seven major players, led by Alexis Tae as the newbie who enters the picture as Olive Glass's fresh cellmate. She's in the county jail as a murderess, and while not claiming innocence still believes offing her man was justified. Aubree Valentine by way of contrast plays a con obsessed with proving she was wrongly convicted, endlessly writing appeals for her lawyers to file.

Powerful acting is delivered by the chief antagonists: Ariel X, perfectly cast as the evil warden who already has Olive in thrall for sex -she's physically imposing -busty and muscular; as well as her chief guard Helena Locke, underplaying masterfully, and making the audience wait for her sexual prowess, asserted after about 3 hours of running time have elapsed. Aubree is Helena's prey, and their rough sex scene is memorable.

Also in the can are Kenzie Taylor, styled very unglamorously for a change as a bosomy con planning to escape and Alina Ali as her young Black lover. Interracial sex is a strong feature of the show, and all that's missing in this regard is casting a strong Latina character (setting is L. A. County Jail after all), perhaps an Annie Cruz, Vicki Chase or Veronica Rodriguez would have been perfect.

Canadian director Greenwood (aka Eric Boisvert) has made many nostalgic genre movies for the Mile High label Sweetheart Video, but it is this one for producer Missa X that hits the bullseye.