Sus

With the election looming, ’80s anti-fascist demonstrations back in the news and controversy over stop-and-search still raging, the release of ‘Sus’ is auspicious. Based on Barrie Keefe’s 1979 stage play, this claustrophobic, intense three-hander was inspired by the late ’70s law that gave police officers the right to detain on suspicion anyone they saw fit, usually young black men. Betraying its theatrical origins, the film takes place in a single police interview room on election night, as thuggish Thatcherite cops Karn (Ralph Brown) and Wilby (Rafe Spall) attempt, by any means, to extract a confession from unemployed labourer Delroy (Clint Dyer) following the unexplained death of his wife. It’s morally one-sided and the dialogue and acting tends towards the mannered and overblown – Spall in particular comes off like a ‘Fast Show’ bad-cop parody at times. But overall this is a well structured, emotionally rigorous piece of filmmaking, and a timely reminder of the dangers of unchecked police power.