Heartless

In his first feature movie for a decade, Ridley explores the dark underside of London life through the life of a lonely young photographer from the East End who comes across a band of homicidal demons marauding the city. His discovery leads to his introduction to a centuries old cult that makes complex Faustian compacts with would-be avengers. It is an extremely violent horror flick that holds the attention and resonates, though only up to a point. However, the invaluable presences of three Mike Leigh regulars – the deeply human Timothy Spall and the warm-hearted Ruth Sheen as the hero's parents, Eddie Marsan as a sinisterly comic agent of an occult force – goes some way towards anchoring the events in reality.