Straightheads (2007)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Dan Reed

Writer:

Dan Reed (writer)

Release Date:

27 April 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Let the revenge fit the crime

Plot:

After surviving a gang rape and mugging, a middle aged businesswoman and her 23 year old boyfriend plot to murder their attackers, but find themselves conflicted about carrying out their plans.

Plot Keywords:

Rape | Party | Night | Sex | Revenge

Cast

Danny Dyer	...	Adam
Gillian Anderson	...	Alice
Adam Rayner	...	Jago
Antony Byrne	...	Misha (as Anthony Byrne)
Anthony Calf	...	Heffer
Ralph Brown	...	Jamie
Steven Robertson	...	Bill
Gugu Mbatha-Raw	...	Young PA
Neil Finnighan	...	Man On Horse
Francesca Fowler	...	Sophie

Also Known As:

Closure (USA) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal violence including rape, sexual content, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:18 | Ireland:18 | USA:R | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | Italy:T | South Korea:18 | Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England, UK

Company:

DJ Films

Trivia:

‘Straightheads’ was funded partly with £500,000 lottery money, provided by the UK Film Council.

Goofs:

Continuity: The couple's car windscreen is smashed twice - by the deer and then by the gang; but in the shots showing them then next morning, the windscreen is untouched.

Soundtrack:

Nothing

I'll be STRAIGHT with you...

To call Straightheads the best Danny Dyer film I've seen is to damn with faint praise. In my humble opinion, the guy cannot act. He just stands there and growls his lines, and you think: how the hell does this guy get plum roles in so many British films? Photogenic he may be, but when it comes to performing, he is never less than completely pants. At least Gillian Anderson is on hand to lend proceedings a touch of class, but the guy is still a millstone hanging around the neck of this thriller/drama.

Alice is a thirty-something worker who is having a security system fitted in her house. She decides to take the 23 year old installer Adam out to a party she is attending, and while there she makes out with him against a tree. On the return journey however, our loving couple make the mistake of angering a van full of psychos in an extreme case of road rage. This ends up in Adam being grievously injured, and Alice being raped. A month later, they are still recovering from the events of the day. But then, Alice finds out the identity of one of the attackers. Adam is quite happy to let sleeping dogs lie, but Alice, armed with this new information wants revenge. And being the daughter of an ex-soldier has distinct advantages...

You'll probably go into this 18 rated film with hopes of experiencing a few nice gory and brutal scenes. In which case, it won't disappoint... their are beating with huge spanners, dogs being shot and unspeakable acts done utilising the point of a huge rifle. OUCH! It doesn't outstay its welcome either, at a meagre running time of just 76 minutes. Hmm, wonder what the deleted scenes were like? However, due to the lack of any sympathetic characters, unbelievable plot developments and the usual Dyer (ha ha) acting by you-know-who I can't quite recommend it. 5/10 it is then. Never mind mate, you'll only improve. Maybe...