Moon Dogs

Stars: Jack Parry Jones, Christy O'Donnell, Tara Lee, Chris Donald, Shauna Macdonald, Tanya Franks, Denis Lawson, Kate Bracken, Jamie Sives

Director: Philip John

Although it has some picturesque widescreen Scottish scenery and a memorable soundtrack, this is a vaguely unpleasant 'road trip' film in which two teenage stepbrothers desert their studies and respective parents and head for Glasgow. Aggressive Michael (Parry Jones) plans to reunite with his girlfriend (who has obviously moved on), while Thor (O'Donnell) is set on visiting his birth mother, who has resolutely refused to answer his letters.

The boys soon hook up with singer Kathleen (Lee) with a vague idea of becoming her backing band. The girl, much more sexually experienced than either of the boys, is soon toying with their affections and making physical advances.

They're a dislikeable trio, and the undercurrent of violence that simmers belong the surface of their trip explodes in a really nasty scene where they exact bloody revenge on the girls' lecherous former employer.

Acting is sort-of OK, with Macdonald a bright spot as Michael's hardly-listening mum who greets him after another day at a holiday job he hates. 'How's the fish factory?' she asks. 'It's a living hell,' he replies. 'That's nice,' says his mother.

David Quinlan

UK 2016. UK Distributor: Amber Content. Colour (unspecified).
94 minutes. Widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

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

Review date: 27 Aug 2017