Down Terrace

This film was billed as a comedy but I found it so darkly comic that I could almost take it as a straight-up drama. All the performances were excellent with both Robert and Robin Hill putting in stellar turns. A cross between a kitchen sink drama and a fly-on-the-wall documentary, I found the filming style made for a compelling watch. Unfortunately there were a couple of ****. They are supposed to be drug dealers but we see no drug dealing going on. Also, the police were very conspicuous by their absence; not one policeman seen al the way through. You’d have thought the police would definitely be watching someone with their track record. Other than that I found it an interesting and compelling watch. Just a word for the squeamish though, Ben Wheatley does not hold back on the violence. There are a couple of quite graphic scenes in there that might have you wincing. SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED My score: 7.1/10.

Downbeat, laced with mordant wit and dark as can be: a tale of small criminals in a confined environment, family fortunes, and escalating paranoia between father, mother and son. A slow-growing film which is a million miles away from gormless Guy Richie's Brit-trash flicks; the naturalistic acting and dialogue lend it an almost documentary feel and flashes of often absurd humour lift the grimness. It's one of those unusual films that you may have to watch all the way through before you can make a judgment. Watch it all the way through: it's worth it.