Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

Updates:

Straightheads (2007)

Director: Dan Reed

Time Out rating

Average user rating

6 reviews

Synopsis

A couple seek vengeance following a brutal and violent attack.

Movie review

From Time Out London

What was Gillian Anderson thinking when she signed for this film? The actress had been quietly forging a post-Scully reputation as a respected and varied actress, with roles in ‘The Last King of Scotland’ and the acclaimed BBC adaptation of Dickens’s ‘Bleak House’. So why would she agree to star in this superficial revenge fantasy, which plays out like a ‘Nuts’-generation ‘X-Files’ geek’s wet dream gone wrong? One can only imagine that she was offering her services for the greater good of the filmgoing public, in a vain attempt to inject a drop of plausibility into writer-director Dan Reed’s half-baked script. Or to counter the stupifying one-dimensionality of her co-star, Danny Dyer, usually to be found flying the flag for English moronity in Nick Love films.

Anderson plays Alice, a middle-class London career woman who lures ‘bit-of-rough’ security system installer, Adam (Dyer) to a glamorous party at a countryside mansion before seducing him with some bizarre chin-sucking in the woods. Unfortunately, their pleasure is short-lived, as they are savagely attacked on the drive home, leaving them physically and emotionally scarred, and with a bloodthirsty desire to settle the score against their assailants. From here, the film is a shallow study of the ‘intoxicating allure of violence', with a few gratuitous tit shots thrown in for good measure. The characters have as much psychological depth as tyre skid marks, and Adam and Alice’s transformation from law-abiding citizens – or ‘straightheads’ – to rifle-wielding vigilantes is so sudden it’s absurd. The few fleeting moments of suspense created in the build-up to the highly unpleasant (but occasionally imaginative) assault scenes are insufficient redemption. Rebecca Davies

Author: Rebecca Davies 2007-04-24 11:30:18

Time Out London Issue 1914: April 25-May 1 2007

Bookmark

User reviews of this film

Sophie said...

Posted on May 07 2009 13:08 I think this review is a little harsh, so ok it wasnt the best script ive ever heard but still i think overall the film was quite good. I didn't like it when the review said "Adam and Alice’s transformation from law-abiding citizens – or ‘straightheads’ – to rifle-wielding vigilantes is so sudden it’s absurd." i don't agree with this atall, i think that if you were raped then you would feel it extremely neccesairy to seek revenge, as i know i would. Anyway, i doubt this film will be your favourite but its definatly worth a watch.

Report as inappropriate
steve said...

Posted on Mar 29 2009 15:45 absolutely brilliant! what are the "so-called" film critics watching? or are they just guessing? get real and give some credit for a gripping low budget british film.

Report as inappropriate
sexy_boy said...

Posted on Dec 12 2008 09:07 i fault this film was sikk

Report as inappropriate
Ed said...

Posted on Jul 10 2008 18:00 The TimeOut review is entirely accurate. I don't think Mr. Dyer is to blame for the poor quality of this film - the lack of effort on the script front is a more fundamental flaw. After this and 'Severance', D D might want to give 'lost in the woods, likeable stoner in club casual wear turns savage survivor after attack by weirdos' a bit of a break. The same goes for 'new British film makers', who are clearly over indulged by some funding body or other.

Report as inappropriate
sexygeezer said...

Posted on Feb 23 2008 12:19 i watcthed the movie straight heads on virgin media and loved it. thought it was quite well done!!!!! who ever review these movies are not taking it serious or not even watching the films that there surpose to critic.. see the movie it should be rating at least 4 stars..

Report as inappropriate
Andy said...

Posted on Jul 12 2007 12:29 Don't like ballsy & gritty low budget british films much do you! First time I've been to your site and I've just read 5 reviews and they all stink. Get your heads out from your arse and start giving credit to some new british film makers.

Report as inappropriate