A bleak, slow-burn of a thriller that manages to become one of the most affecting films of recent years.

Rating: 9/10 (18 October 2017)

It's a dark and at times disturbing slow-burn of a thriller that somehow manages to keep you on the edge-of-your-seat with it's bleak domestic ominousness and outbursts of futile yet explosive violence representative of the volatile frustration of a fairly hopeless situation, one that can only bring out the very worst in even the very best of people simply scrambling to retain some semblance of control in the struggle for the survival of all that they hold dear. It is a picture which could seem somewhat inconsequential due to the slightly tangential nature of its plot, but the very human characters (all portrayed excellently, especially by Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal who both turn in truly Oscar worthy work) and thematically rich narrative manage to marry together all of the differing elements into a work which somehow feels entirely cohesive and incredibly powerful despite its long running time. It's one of the most affecting and emotional films of recent years - an accolade compounded by its brilliantly restrained direction and profoundly realistic screenplay. 9/10