Tyrannosaur

Stars: Peter Mullan, Olivia Colman, Eddie Marsan, Paul Popplewell, Ned Dennehy, Sian Breckin, Sally Carman, Samuel Bottomley

Director: Paddy Considine

The monsters in this film don't have four legs, only two. Mullan, still playing characters called Joe, is an alcoholic widower so full of violence and bile he even kicks his own dog to death.

He's befriended by religious Hannah (Colman), a clothes-store owner who has her own violence-related problems in the shape of an abusive husband (Marsan - a casting against type that only barely works).

The result is a tough, expletive-filled watch, a decent film, perhaps, but one that few surely will want to see - especially when several scenes go on too long for comfort.

Its entertainment value is very low, even though it's well directed by actor Considine, who also wrote the script. It depends how keen you are to see how the other one-tenth lives...

David Quinlan

UK 2010. UK Distributor: Optimum. Colour by Soho Film Lab.
92 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 18.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 1, Violence/Horror 2, Drugs 0, Swearing 3.

Review date: 03 Oct 2011