DVD Review: Crows Zero 2 / Cert: 15 / Director: Takashi Miike / Screenplay: Shogo Muto / Starring: Shun Oguri, Kyosuke Yabe, Meisa Kuroki / Release Date: July 2nd

During one of their tours, Blur’s backstage punch-ups apparently got so bad, at one point they all managed to give each other black eyes. The same kind of thing happens in this brooding teen rumble-fest, where everyone who’s anyone ends up with a split lip, a torn and bloodied shirt and a shiner that looks like a squashed tomato.

Crows Zero II follows on directly from Crows Zero, which in turn was based upon a best-selling manga by Hiroshi Takahashi. Haven’t seen the first film or read the comic? No matter, the storyline won’t tax your powers of comprehension. Pouting bad boy Genji (Shun Oguri) has fought his way up to become top dog at the Suzuran Senior High School for Boys, but he’s too narcissistic and self-absorbed to be able to reconcile the various factions of its ultra-violent student body. A failing which becomes a serious problem when the rambunctious skinheads of the Hosen Academy decide to move in and take them down. Can Genji learn values in time to unify the Suzurans into a fighting force capable of repelling the Hosen thugs? Or will he content himself with wandering the mean streets in lonely splendour, cigarette smoke curling from his thin, moody lips? Or maybe he’ll do a bit of the moody thing first, before manning up for a balls-out finale? Now how’s that for a plan?

Director Takashi Miike moves everything along with his usual pop-promo vividness, but makes little attempt to individualize the characters, who fall into two homogeneous groups – preening alpha males with narrow hips and good cheekbones, and their gurning sidekicks. The urban squalor is piled on, with rolls of barbed wire and graffiti-daubed walls wherever you look. You’d find more subtlety and subtext in a spoonful of wasabi. There’s masses of combat, but not of the graceful, highly choreographed martial arts kind. This is fist-fighting in the Western manner, except that no one’s learnt how to duck.

Between brawls, there’s much posturing and male peacockery. The cast do almost too good a job of mimicking the stylised attitudes of their manga originals – the wistfully tilted head, the narrowed eyes glimpsed through the floppy fringe, the languid cigarette in long-boned fingers. Ladies might well find this aspect of the film quite beguiling – in small doses. But they’re just as likely to be dismayed by the near-total absence of female characters (two small roles for women in a cast numbering hundreds) and 130 minutes is a long time to watch even the prettiest boy band types bludgeoning each other until their barnets drip blood.

Blu-ray Review: A Better Tomorrow 2012 / Cert: 15 / Director: Song Hae-sung / Screenplay: Hing-Ka Chan, Suk-Wah Leung / Starring: Ju Jin-Mo, Song Seung-heon, Kim Kang-woo, Jo Han Sun / Release Date: Out Now

Despite the specific date title, this is a 2010 Korean remake of the seminal Chinese film of the same name from 1986. The film that put John Woo and Chow Yun Fat firmly on the map. While keeping similar themes, this update takes its own path.

The plot centres around Kim Hyuk (Ju Jin-Mo) who has defected from North Korea, leaving behind his mother and younger brother, Chul (Kim Kang Woo). He works as a police officer as well as an arms smuggler, with the help of another Northern defector, Young-Choon (Song Seung-hun). Chul is found and brought to Hyuk’s station, but he doesn’t want anything to do with his elder sibling, believing that he abandoned them to save himself, while their mother was killed as he watched.

Hyuk finds himself in a Thai jail after being betrayed in a gun running deal, both by the buyers and his second in command, Tae Min (Jo Han Sun). Young-Choon avenges Hyuk, but is crippled in the process. Meanwhile, Chul has himself become a police officer, and is determined to bring both the gang, now led by the power mad Tae Min, and his wayward brother to justice.

The film takes the basic elements of the original story, and transplants them in Korea and puts the emphasis back on the story – the brother’s split mirroring the divide between North and South – rather than the cool looking set pieces. That is not to say this version does not have its moments, there are a number of shoot outs that are well choreographed and have plenty of style, but nothing stands out like the ballet of violence that is the 1986 classic. The problem with remaking such a revered film is of course you will forever be compared. Had director Song Hae-sung called the film something completely different, he would have probably got away from many unfair comparisons. John Woo, director and writer of the original has an executive producer credit here, but judging from the brief sound bite in the extras, he literally just put his name to the film as a stamp of approval. Which makes the marketing of the film all the more frustrating. In big bold letters on the box, John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow 2012. The original Korean title, Mujeogja (Invincible) would have worked better.

A big let-down, especially as I’m an advocate of the format, was the completely unnecessary 3D conversion for the Blu-ray, which adds absolutely nothing. On the plus side, however it does not spoil the look of the film either and it has not been used (so far) as an excuse to jack up the price of the disc, it’s just pointless.

A great Eastern gangster film, which deserves more than just being tarnished by the remake tag.

Special Features: None

Review: The Expendables – Director’s Cut / Director: Sylvester Stallone / Screenplay: Dave Callaham, Sylvester Stallone / Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Eric Roberts, Steve Austin, Randy Couture, Charisma Carpenter / Release Date: Out Now

On the surface, The Expendables is a story of a black-ops-for-hire team – lead by stoic team leader Barney (Stallone) – who essentially kick ass for the highest bidder. In this case, the man with the money is the shady Mr Church (Willis) who hires Barney and his crew for a hit in a South American island. But as you would expect, all is not what it seems and before he knows it, Barney is turning a well-paid job into an attempt at redemption. Or so this movie would have you believe.

In fact, what The Expendables really is, is an excuse to throw together almost every recognisable action star from the ’80s and ’90s (with a few new ones, most notably Statham) to blow stuff up and relive former glories. Not that this is a bad thing. The concept of having Stallone on screen again with the likes of Lundgren, while Jet Li, Jason Statham and Stone Cold Steve Austin run around is like fan boy heaven. Throw Arnie and Bruce Willis into the mix (albeit in a brief scene) and you’re practically reaching for the Kleenex.

But, what you quickly discover is that the two reasons for The Expendables existence don’t really mix. This is neither explosive enough to cash in the expectations of the mighty cast, nor worthy enough to validate the core theme of absolution. Leaving us with a movie which has managed to capture the feel of the early ’90s action movie, but fails to add anything new.

Having said that, of course in this case, there is something new. Being a director’s cut we’re privy, not only to all the extra bits that Stallone wished he’d been allowed to include in the theatrical release, but a total re-cut. That’s not to say that this is vastly different from the original film, but rather than just slot in a couple of cut scenes Stallone has really gone through and re-assembled the film, often including different takes and new music. For the most part, the cut scenes themselves consist of small character exchanges that do at least help to flesh them out more. As for the music? Well, it’s neither better nor worse.

From the extra features Stallone makes it clear that directing and acting in this film took far more out of him than he’d imagined it would do. In fact Sly’s ‘Director in Action’ featurette is so candid that you almost feel sorry for the guy. But hard as it may have been, it doesn’t excuse this from being an action movie cheque that Stallone and crew simply couldn’t cash.

Extras:

This is where this release finally wins. The aforementioned featurette provides an intimate master class in Stallone’s directorial career from the man himself, which is commendably honest. Feature-length Inferno: The Making of The Expendables is equally transparent in its depiction of Stallone’s time on set. Music video and brief introduction (from the set of Expendables 2, curiously the only E2 content on board) are fine. For the full story, Stallone’s Commentary is a must, if nothing else you’ll get the best argument for his choices (good and bad).

DVD Review: Exit Humanity / Cert: 15 / Director: John Geddes / Screenplay: John Geddes / Starring: Mark Gibson, Jordan Hayes, Dee Wallace, Bill Moseley, Stephen McHattie, Brian Cox / Release Date: June 19th (US), July 2nd (UK)

With the bizarre influx of supernatural Civil War movies hitting the big and small screens, writer, director and editor John Geddes has created one of the better ones.

In Exit Humanity, the story is told in flashback mode through our hero’s journal (narrated by Brian Cox), Edward Young (Mark Gibson); a former Confederate soldier forced to kill his wife due to an unknown infection that turns the newly dead or those that are bitten into zombies.

Young documents his experiences through his journal describing how head shots with a six shot pistol are good for close range when encountering the living dead while a rifle is better for distance along with other valuable information to be passed on should anything happen to him. As his quest continues, searching for his missing son through the back woods of Tennessee, he sadly discovers that his boy has become one of the living dead as well. Forced to do the unthinkable, he places his son’s ashes in a jar, continuing his journey to a peaceful place of rest when he can scatter them.

Fighting his way through hungry zombies to his destination, Young joins up with Isaac (Adam Seybold) forming an uneasy alliance with him to find his sister, Emma (Jordan Hayes) who may hold the cure to the disease held captive by a renegade Confederate army, General Williams (Bill Moseley) and his outlaw soldiers that include an unbalanced medic (Stephen McHattie).

PartThe Road and part 28 Days Later, the movie is told with animated segments and chapters that move the film forward. As with many other Civil War/zombie films and the lack of why the living dead are roaming the countryside, this one has a believable explanation that is delivered by Dee Wallace portraying a mysterious, secluded woman in the woods, named Eve.

Filmed on a budget of $300,000, Geddes has created an interesting twist on the zombie genre and makes use of the forest filled landscape, never playing the film for laughs. The Civil war reenactment group featured in the beginning adds to the production value of the movie as well. Mark Gibson turns in an excellent performance as the brooding Young, as do the rest of the cast turning in solid performances.

Special Features: None

Blu-ray Review: David Lynch Box Set / Cert: 18 / Director: David Lynch / Screenplay: Various / Starring: Kyle MacLachlan, Jack Nance, Nicolas Cage, Dennis Hopper, Laura Dern, Bill Pullman / Release Date: Out Now

The long awaited remastered versions of six of David Lynch’s most famous films have finally hit DVD and Blu-ray. The films themselves should need no introduction, but what about the extra features and package? Are they worth the double dip for the Lynch enthusiast?

The box set itself is a bespoke fold out affair, not just the individual releases packaged together. A set of poster cards is included, which is a nice touch, but certainly not essential.

On the discs we have:

Eraserhead – Apparently a newly remastered version overseen by the man himself, although this could just be a HD transfer of the version sold in 2001 on Lynch’s website.

The special features here are Lynch (One) an 82min documentary previously available separately, which follows him over a two year period, delving into some of his creative interests, and while making Inland Empire. This is a great look at what makes Lynch tick and, of course, highlights his idiosyncratic traits. The disc is topped off with four short films; Six Men Getting Sick (1966), The Alphabet (1968), and two separate versions of The Amputee (1974). These have previously been released (along with other shorts featured on other discs) on the long deleted 2008 DVD, The Short Films of David Lynch. Despite the great extras, the biggest disappointment is the decision not to port over the wonderful Eraserhead Stories from the Lynch approved DVD. This 85 min featurette of Lynch talking about the film is fantastic and it is such a missed opportunity not to include it. The DVD menu which features a deleted scene involving Henry (Jack Nance), a piece of wire and a dead cat is sorely missed. Shame on you Universal!

Dune – Lynch’s much maligned adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, and certainly plays better now than it did back in 1984. This disc has been previously released (as has Blue Velvet), and as such they don’t carry the generic menu seen on the other discs. What you do get, however are some film specific special features so obviously missing from the other films. Here we have: Destination Dune – a 6 min contemporary featurette, Impressions of Dune – a 40min retrospective with much of the talent involved, although Lynch himself is noticeable by his absence. An interview with Golda Offenheim, production co-ordinator is an uncut version of the interview used in the retrospective.

Blue Velvet – Another previously released disc, and as such has a wealth of great special features, namely: A 45min interview with Dennis Hopper, A 70 min documentary, Mysteries of Love, three outtakes, Siskel & Ebert “At the Movies” the contemporary review from the famed US film critics, four vignettes and the usual trailers and TV spots. A great collection.

Wild At Heart – One of my favourite films of all time, presented in a truly wonderful transfer. The special features are Dumbland, all eight episodes of Lynch’s absurd animated comedy, previously available on its own DVD, and two short films: The Grandmother and Lumiere and Company which runs just under a minute. Like Eraserhead, this version suffers from not having the DVD features ported over. No animated menus, and worse still, no featurettes. The special edition DVD was full of insight from all involved with the brilliant Love, Death, Elvis & Oz documentary. It would have been nice to have that here.

Twin Peaks Fire Walk With Me however, does not even merit a trailer. Zilch. Lovely transfer of the film though.

Lost Highway – Again, the special features are made up of short and experimental films previously released on Lynch’s website, and in the DVD collection, Dynamic: 01.

While it is a great collection, it is a missed opportunity to release the definitive versions of the films. I’m just hoping it’s not just a cynical way of making the fans buy the films yet again, later in some super-dooper special edition versions. Each of the films are also available separately too.

A lovely set, but could do better. Maybe wait for the price reduction.

DVD Review: Mardock Scramble – The First Compression / Cert: 18 / Director: Susumo Kudo / Screenplay: Tom Ubukata / Starring: Megumi Hayashibara, Norito Yashima, Hiroki Tochi / Release date: Out Now

In keeping with the tradition of complex backstories to most contemporary anime; Mardock Scramble: The First Compression is based on a novel which was then made into a multi volume manga which is now a trilogy of anime films and is in development as a live action Hollywood film from producer Don Murphy and director Michael Davis. This is the first instalment in the trilogy and sets the tone perfectly; it’s probably the best anime I have seen in a while despite being a little rough around the edges.

The plot is completely batty. A troubled prostitute named Rune Ballot from an abusive family is murdered by a serial killer named Shell and is resurrected through underground technology by a law firm that is part of a mega corporation. The doctor responsible for the return to life informs Rune that Shell works for a rival corporation and they are going to use her to bring him to justice in the court room. Rune is paired with an artificial intelligence that appears to her as a golden mouse and can also form weapons and other items and she sets her mind on vengeance. The killer in the meantime sets a series of grotesque assassins on to the woman to prevent her from testifying against him.

One of the most frustrating things about cyberpunk as a sub-genre is that Hollywood only gets it right once every twenty years or so whereas the Japanese have no problem and make it look easy with their animation all the time. Mardock Scramble plays out like an early William Gibson novel with strong, developed characterisation and the twisted assassins you would find in something like Ninja Scroll. Despite its subject matter the film never descends into lurid fan service the way it could have done and the sex and violence is part of the background of the story and never the focus.

The animation is solid but unremarkable, it never gets to the visual heights of something produced by Production I.G or Madhouse but looks good with some slightly dodgy computer assisted anime during the cityscape and driving scenes. The roughness gives it something of an old school feel which I really liked. It felt like the anime boom of the early 90s again, when I would watch something on video amazed that cartoons could contain such violence and language.

At a brief 65 minutes, Mardock Scramble is a complete blast of anime fun with a layered story that will be expanded on in the next two films. It ends on a major cliff hanger that may frustrate but will get you back for the next film due later this year.

Special Features: Theatrical and Directors Cuts, Trailers.

DVD Review: Stormhouse / Cert: 15 / Director: Dan Turner / Screenplay: Jason Arnopp / Starring: Katherine Flynn, Grant Masters, Patrick Flynn, Grahame Fox / Release date: July 9th

The British film industry may be on its arse, but at least plenty of genre films are being made and picked up for distribution. Stormhouse was screened at last year’s Fright Fest and finally hits the DVD shelves in July.

It’s 2002, four months before the invasion of Iraq and the British military have managed to capture and imprison a supernatural entity. In order to get a better insight into what is happening at the secret Stormhouse base (which is only a ball throw away from playing school kids), the government have sent a ‘ghost whisperer’, Hayley Sands (Katherine Flynn), much to the annoyance of Major Lester (Grant Masters). She receives a hostile reception from the other army guys, too. Not least Lieutenant Groves (Grahame Fox), although she makes an ally (as well as someone to flirt with) in Australian boffin Justin Rourke (Patrick Flynn). It seems the soldier boys have bigger plans for this spirit, especially in the crackdown on terrorism. Sands is obviously appalled with what’s going on, but the increasingly restless ghost may become a bigger problem, especially since it wants to ‘play’.

Allegedly ‘inspired by real events’, Stormhouse tries hard to be a good little chiller. CCTV footage is used sparingly enough so as not to become as annoying as your standard found footage fiasco. Some real anxiety and atmosphere that is built up tends to be wasted as it does employ the ‘loud noise jump scare’ a little too often. It builds up the tension with within its claustrophobic setting, and when the entity begins to enter the bodies of the men, it resists the temptation of becoming a clone of The Thing. The sets are minimalist but effective, but you would have thought the military could afford lighting, especially in our claim culture society.

Writer Jason Arnopp – who used to write for Kerrang Magazine when it wasn’t just Smash Hits for the shoe gazing generation before moving onto Dr Who fiction and a Friday the 13^th tie-in novel – has a decent premise, but some of the plot holes are bigger than the one in the cage the entity is kept in.

The film really suffers from its lack of budget, noticeably with some weak acting; sadly this seems to come from some of the more experienced members of the cast. Andrew Hall, playing the government minister meant to be looking out for Miss Sands, is particularly woeful. This doesn’t, for the most part, detract too much from the proceedings though.

I’m intrigued as to why Ms Flynn is not listed as being in the film on IMDB. I know it can be wholly inaccurate at times, but you’d have thought the film makers would have corrected it? Could it be that she wanted her name removed so it didn’t tarnish her bio?

For all its flaws, it does make for a good Saturday beer and mates movie, although you may never want to hear ‘Frere Jacques’ again.

Special Features: Behind the scenes, interview, featurette.

DVD Review: The Reeds / Cert: 18 / Director: Nick Cohen / Screenplay: Chris Baker / Starring: Anna Brewster, Geoff Bell, Daniel, Caltagirone, Emma Catherwood / Release Date: June 25th

Winner of the Toronto After Dark horror film festival 2009, low-budget British horror The Reeds is only now making its DVD debut in the UK. This is, to say the least, a bit of a puzzler because this is a competent, dark and largely-effective little chiller which echoes recent fare like Eden Lake and The Children in execution if not necessarily in subject matter.

Once again we have a group of lively youngsters – this time a bunch of twenty-something Londoners – whose weekend boating trip on the bleak and desolate Norfolk Broads turns into something unpleasant and distinctly grisly. After a day of fun and frolics they decide to take a shortcut through some thicker reeds so they can reach their overnight mooring place by nightfall. Before long the novice sailors are lost in the dark and soon one of them is injured in a bloody (and wince-inducing) accident, strange shapes loom out of the darkness and something nasty from the past is lurking beneath the surface.

For the first forty-five or so minutes The Reeds is engrossing, unnerving stuff. Trapped and lost with one of their number in danger of bleeding to death, the little group slowly starts to fall apart – and terrifying (and initially confusing) hallucinations and visions only make the situation worse. Eventually the boat is lost, the casualty list gets longer and those who survive find themselves tormented by eerie ghostly figures and a mysterious man with a gun.

It’s probably to The Reeds’ credit that it isn’t just another runaround with a bunch of isolated holidaymakers terrorised by grotesque locals but its supernatural stylings, which become more and more evident as the film progresses, unfortunately just muddy the (brackish) waters and the sense of threat seems to diminish a bit when we realise the true nature of the apparently-feral kids who roam the marshes. Explanations, when they come, are muddled and, at one point, absurdly coincidental and ultimately the combination of ghost story and the more routine creepy they-all-get-picked-off-one-by-one story doesn’t really work as both elements work against one another so that neither of them is as effective as they could be. The denouement is particularly perplexing as we’re left asking ourselves if anything we’ve seen in the last seventy minutes or so is supposed to have happened at all.

It’s a shame that The Reeds fumbles the ball because it’s an interesting piece with a lot of potential which is squandered because it’s never quite sure what it’s supposed to be and what it wants to be. The cast of predominantly new faces (including Will Mellor… yep, him off perennial BBC3 sitcom favourite Two Pints) are all good value and the script, when it’s not wandering back and forth between genres, is naturalistic and dynamic. But in the end The Reeds lets itself down and throws away too much of its early good work in a jumbled, messy final reel and a climax which leaves the audience unsatisfied and asking too many unanswered questions.

Special Features: None

DVD Review: Doctor Who – The Krotons / Cert: PG / Director: David Maloney / Screenplay: Robert Holmes / Starring: Patrick Troughton, James Copeland, Terence Brown, Frazer Hines / Release Date: July 2nd

Originally, this story was broadcast between 28th December 1968 – 18th January 1969 but was actually a late replacement for a completely different tale – Prison in Space, a risqué effort that had leather clad women running a top security establishment and contained a scene with the Doctor spanking Zoe to break her of mind control/feminism.

Robert Holmes was drafted in to fill the gap and provided us with our first view into Doctor Who as seen through his eyes.

The basic plot treads a familiar path, the TARDIS arrives on a planet that looks like a quarry, the Doctor, Jamie and Zoe discover a world ruled/enslaved by unseen forces and set about changing the status quo. Making the locals rise up and carpe the living diem out of the invaders. All, standard, run of the mill stuff.

In this world, the brightest locals (Gonds) are always chosen to serve as ‘companions’ of the Krotons – and are never seen again. A sort of parallel with the national curriculum, but, rather than a one way trip to university; the brightest children are absorbed into the alien ship – if you want to see a subtextual comment about the nature of working for a living, then feel free. We are here simply to discuss Doctor Who.

Zoe and The Doctor shine in this story and are given some wonderfully quotable lines and watching the imp-like second Doctor in full flow it is easy to see echoes of his portrayal in evidence in the Smith Doctor of today.

As Monsters go, the Krotons themselves are rubbish and would have been better suited to an audio realm, if it wasn’t for their ridiculous South African accents. Their lumbering form and spinning heads do little to convince us of their apparently crystalline structure and yet Homes still manages to give them both menace and motivation.

Yes, this story has parallels with the student uprisings of 1968 and even with certain episodes of the prisoner but it is still a fun story and not even remotely as dull as The Dominators.

Special Features:

As is the norm this story comes with a  commentary track with actors Philip Madoc (Eelek), Richard Ireson (Axus) and Gilbert Wynne (Thara), assistant floor manager David Tilley, make-up designer Sylvia James, costume designer Bobi Bartlett and special sounds designer Brian Hodgson. A revolving door commentary moderated expertly by Toby Hadoke. It is the late Philip Madoc who both illuminates and dominates the commentary and it was a tear in the eye that you hear him offering to attend American conventions the moment that he is asked.

Also on the disc is a lovely documentary called Second Time Around. When faced with William Hartnell’s deteriorating health the Doctor Who production team hit on the idea of ‘rejuvenating’ the show’s hero and giving fresh life to an already popular show. This mini documentary takes a candid look over Patrick Troughton’s time as the Second Doctor. And is so much better than a ‘making of the Krotons’ would have been.

Also included is Doctor Who Stories – Frazer Hines (part one) where actor Frazer Hines reminisces about his time on the series in an interview originally recorded in 2003 for the BBC’s Story of Doctor Who. It is important to note that this is the last full Troughton story to be released so Part Two will logically appear on a future ‘Regenerations’ release.

Rounding off the disc is another episode of The Doctor’s Strange Love, where writers Joseph Lidster and Simon Guerrier take an overly affectionate look at The Krotons. The usual suspects of Radio Times Listings and programme subtitles finish off this lovingly restored old master.

DVD Review: Intruders / Cert: 15 / Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo / Screenplay: Nicolas Casariego, Jaime Marques / Starring: Clive Owen, Carice Van Houten, Izan Corchero, Daniel Bruhl, Ella Purnell, Pilar Lopez de Alaya / Release Date: Out Now

The third film from Intacto and 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo suffers very much from difficult third film syndrome but despite what you may have heard isn’t a total write off. It is one of those films where you can see the good film inside trying to escape but too many choices are made which count against the film and thus it does not live up to its potential.

We start off in Spain as a child and his mother are terrorised by a malevolent entity known as Hollowface which tries to take the child. The action then switches back and forth between the mother and child in Spain trying to come to terms with their traumatic experience and a family in the suburbs of London whose father and daughter start to experience similar visions of Hollowface after the daughter finds a story on paper stuffed in a tree at her grandparents’ house. Are these two stories connected? Of course they are…

The fatal flaw with Intruders is that Fresnadillo lays his cards on the table far too early by revealing the entity and using some truly awful CGI. All the tension evaporates and the wind is sucked out of the film from this point onwards so the admittedly very creepy scenes that follow as Hollowface emerges from cupboards and alleyways in London lose any power they may have had. The two storylines that are seemingly connected by the evil presence do keep your attention and keep you guessing from the very beginning and the ending may well surprise you. However in connecting these two threads they make some poor editing choices which again lead to an absence of tension.

The performances in the film are all very good. Clive Owen, Carice Van Houten, Daniel Bruhl and Pilar Lopez De Ayala are all very solid but the child performances are what stand out. Ella Purnell and Izan Conchero are a couple of remarkable child actors who we should see more of and really sell the blind panic that occurs when you are young and have an irrational fear of something in the darkness. The tragedy is that the film and story around these performers cannot live up to all of their efforts.

This is one of those films set in the London suburbs that, like the recent Heartless, is really well shot and makes the whole area seem like a dark threatening sprawl with unspeakable evil lurking around the corner. Working with an international crew, Fresnadillo really brings something unique to the locations which add to the overall feel of dread.

Intruders isn’t a bad film in the way that many are just plain bad but it reeks of a missed opportunity.

Special Features: Deleted Scenes, Featurettes, Who is Hollowface?, The Making of Intruders.