Case 39

Shlocky and ridiculous it may be, but this horror-thriller really is gleefully gruesome and undeniably entertaining: smart work from German director Christian Alvert – who made the stomach-turning serial-killer nightmare Antikörper, or Antibodies. Renée Zellweger plays Emily, a concerned social worker confronted with the toughest case of her career. She suspects 12-year-old Lily (Jodelle Ferland) is being abused by her sinister, taciturn parents. One night, Emily gets a desperate phone call from the child: mum and dad are about to bundle her into the oven and roast her alive. Emily's desperate attempt at rescue is just the beginning of her problems. Zellweger's pouty performance works very well, as her dainty composure disintegrates. For sheer, sustained nastiness, this could hardly be beaten, channelling the spirit of Damien: Omen II and the Japanese Ring movies.