INMATE#1 The Rise Of Danny Trejo (2020) Review


Directed By: Brett Harvey
Starring: Danny Trejo
Synopsis: From an early life of drugs, armed robbery and hard prison time, to the red carpets of Hollywoods blockbusters and helping troubled addicts, Danny Trejo’s transformation from hardened criminal to celebrated movie icon and beloved friend of all who cross his path.
Review: Hollywoods most recognizable face Danny Trejo takes center stage in this documentary about his childhood right up until present day. Danny strips down and is at his most humble and human and we see a very vulnerable side to the guy we all know as one of Hollywoods toughest.
We begin with Danny telling us about his early years and how while growing up he looked up to his Uncle who was a tough guy and feared amongst men. Danny wanted to be like him and followed in his footsteps. Taking this path lead Danny to robberies, drug dealing then drug addiciton and ultimately into prison. When in prison Danny describes how it was a dog eat dog world and if you backed down or showed weakness in the slightest then you were dead.
While in prison Danny became a champion Boxer and that helped him stay on the straight and narrow, it also helped he was known and feared throughout prisons, his popularity or notoriety was high.
Once out of prison Danny trained Eric Roberts and also landed a role in the movie he was helping Eric train for.
The documentary is a brilliant watch. Trejo fully strips back and is his own raw personal self and he doesn’t beat around the bush or sugarcoat things. Machete don’t sugarcoat! Trejo clearly realizes where he went wrong and whenever he can Danny will go to prisons or addiction meetings etc to do talks and guide people, help people to be their best selves and try to makesure they don’t steer the wrong way in life. He shows them there is always a second chance.
The documentary really shows how much of a people person Danny is. He went rogue and got a second lease to choose a new path and he is trying to help others that were in his position. The whole documentary does truly make you love Danny Trejo even more than you did before.
I would hands down fully recommend this to everyone and anyone!! Such a brilliant watch. Also throughout the documentary we are treated to interviews with those closest to Danny. This documentary doesn’t beat around the bush and puts Danny in the spotlight as he bares his soul and his sins! Hands down a very well made documentary that i shall revisit again.