A Sinister Gasmask

Dead Man’s Shoes was a compelling feature, its brooding nastiness and rank portrayal of the underbelly of English life meant one couldn’t keep one’s eyes off the screen. A former soldier seeks revenge for the way his mentally-handicapped brother was treated by a gang of low-life, low-level criminals; just the mention of his name throws them into panic but when he starts breaking into their homes wearing a sinister gasmask and messing with them while asleep they really ‘go ape’. And then it really gets evil. I’m quite keen to discover where it was filmed – it had a vague South Yorkshire* look to it. The haunting soundtrack (Smog, Calexico, Richard Hawley, Adem, Earlies) gave the film a melancholic, contemplative texture; I wouldn’t mind the CD.

* I was close. It was Matlock, Derbyshire.