Diamond Skulls

Diamond Skulls (also called Dark Obsession) is a 1989 British thriller drama movie. This movie was directed by Nick Broomfield. Broomfield also co-wrote the movie. Diamond Skulls includes the last performance by Ian Carmichael.

Plot
Lord Hugo Brockton is a young Englishman. He is the heir to a vast fortune. He is married to a woman named Virginia, or "Ginny" in short. Ginny seems devoted and loyal to Hugo. They have a young son. But Hugo is haunted by jealousy, as he imagines Ginny in the arms of a colleague. He begins spying on her. He gets angry over her supposed infidelity.

One night, after a social gathering with members of his British Army group, Hugo and his friends go out for a drive. He accidentally runs over a woman, who dies at the scene. All except one of his friends urge Hugo to drive on. In his drunk state of mind, Hugo had imagined himself running over Ginny.

Over the next few days, a psychological war takes place. Peter, who is Hugo's business associate, wants to use the cover-up to get power over the estate. A man named Jamie is dating Hugo's sister. He wants to go to police and report the incident. But Hugo's family closes ranks as Ginny and the rest side with Hugo. He fears his arrest and being sent to prison will hurt the family's reputation. When the police investigation closes in on Hugo, the power struggle leads to deadly consequences. 

At the end, Peter and Hugo murder Jamie and arrange to make it look like a suicide. They wish to make it look like it had been Jamie driving the car who killed the woman. They throw Jamie's dead body off a seaside cliff. The police believe the story and close the case. 

Cast

Amanda Donohoe as Ginny Bruckton
Gabriel Byrne as Lord Hugo Bruckton
Struan Rodger as Peter Eggleton
Douglas Hodge as Jamie Skinner
Ralph Brown as Jack
Peter Sands as Colonel
David Delve as Alec
Alexander Clempson as Edward
Catherine Livesey as Nanny
Michael Hordern as Lord Crewne
Ian Carmichael as Exeter

Matthew Marsh as Raul
Judy Parfitt as Lady Crewne
Sadie Frost as Rebecca
Edward Burnham as John the Gardener
Phyllida Hewat as Lady Castlemere
Patrick Field as Detective 1
Jay Benedict as Joe
Eiji Kusuhara as Ewo Nagasaky
Robin Summers as Detective 2
William Hoyland as Inspector Orchard

Rating
Diamond Skulls is rated NC-17 by the Motion Picture Association of America.

Reception
The movie was given two thumbs up by Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. Other critics' reviews were mixed. The Los Angeles Times gave a positive review to the movie.

References

Category:1989 thriller movies
Category:1989 drama movies
Category:British drama thriller movies
Category:1980s British drama movies
Category:Movies directed by Nick Broomfield
Category:1989 independent movies
Category:Movies composed by Hans Zimmer