Silent Night
Wednesday, Sky Premiere HD, 8.40am & 8.10pm ★★★★
FORGET THE TITLE, writer-director Will Thorne’s sly film debut is no cosy Christmas story. Bradley Taylor plays Mark, a low-level South London crim fresh out of prison after a six-year stretch and trying to go straight for the sake of his family. When his boss (Frank Harper) draws him back into his old life, Mark pairs up with his old cell-mate (Cary Crankson) for a series of increasingly violent and disastrous jobs. Flirting with the well-worn ‘one last job’ narrative, this may not sound fiercely original – but appearances can be deceptive. Capturing England’s run-down ’burbs with real panache, Thorne tempers the bloodshed with some judicious gallows humour, while Taylor’s grim charisma and some crafty support from Joel Fry and Sarah Leigh bring this rogue’s gallery vividly to life. Small, but perfectly formed. JM 2020, 15, 94MIN