Gasp as the Thunderbirds-style damn collapses. Blighty's own Driver is wasted as the feisty love interest but unlike her splendid turn in Good Will Hunting, this is more a film for lovers of jet bikes and watersports than anything approaching an acting masterclass. When Rufus Sewell awakes in a bathtub with a murdered blonde in his apartment, things don't look good for our confused hero. However, his apartment is not what it seems. And neither is the city surrounding it.
Buildings contort, houses shift like elastic and everyone sleeps through the procedure .
Everyone except Sewell and The Strangers - led by Richard O' Brien and Ian Richardson. Lifting inspiration from the films Kafka, Hellraiser, Scanners and The City of Lost Children, this is visually one of the most stunning films of the year. Once you get past the erratic introduction, things really get going with Sewell drawn into The Strangers' mysterious plan. While William Hurt is as good as ever, it's difficult to take Sewell seriously, especially after seeing him on fine form in Martha - Meet Frank Daniel and Laurence a week earlier. However, he makes a refreshing change from the usual Hollywood leading men who often look good but have little to offer.