New Town Killers (2008)

Two private bankers, Alistair and Jamie, who have the world at their feet get their kicks from playing a 12 hour game of hunt, hide and seek with people from the margins of society. Their ... See full summary »

Director:

Richard Jobson

Writer:

Richard Jobson

Stars:

James Anthony Pearson, Dougray Scott, Alastair Mackenzie

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
James Anthony Pearson	...	Sean MacDonald
Dougray Scott	...	Alistair Raskolnikov
Alastair Mackenzie	...	Jamie Stewart (as Alastair MacKenzie)
Charles Mnene	...	Sam
Liz White	...	Alice MacDonald
John Gray	...	Homeless Man
Rebecca Palmer	...	Woman Loan Shark
Shelley Conn	...	Julie Stewart
Neil McNulty	...	Turbonegro Fan
Ruaraidh Murray	...	Gang Leader
Sheila Donald	...	Old Woman
Jamie Michie	...	Police Officer 1
Jenny Foulds	...	Police Officer 2
Leon Butler	...	News Footage Police Officer
Edie Jobson	...	TV Presenter

Storyline

Two private bankers, Alistair and Jamie, who have the world at their feet get their kicks from playing a 12 hour game of hunt, hide and seek with people from the margins of society. Their next target is Sean Macdonald a parentless teenager who lives with his sister on a housing estate on the outskirts of Edinburgh. She's in debt, he's going nowhere fast. Sean agrees to play for cash. He soon realises he's walked into twelve hours of hell where survival is the name of the game.

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Plot Keywords:

frame up | manhunt | exploitation | overhearing sex | sex in toilet | 

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Taglines:

One night. Two killers. Twelve grand. Play the game.

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Karen Gillan has a small part in the film as the young woman at the bus station.

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Soundtracks

New Town Killers
by Isa & The Filthy Tongues

User Reviews

Low budget thriller tries too hard and fails

NEW TOWN KILLERS is a low budget Scottish riff on the Van Damme film HARD TARGET and many other movies, such as THE GAME and the 'hunting human' classic that spawned them all, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. This one sees a hard-up teenager lured into playing a deadly game by a bored investment banker (!) with murder in mind.

The problem with the film is the lack of talent on the part of the filmmakers. They try hard, sure, but the issue is with the direction: the attempt to make this flashy and appealing to young people just makes it feel dated and I honestly thought it was shot in the 1990s. Then there are the animated titles, promising a decent free-running movie; unfortunately the opening sequence is unconnected to the rest of the movie and the only example of Parkour in the whole thing.

Instead we get low budget emoting throughout and some dodgy writing which gradually sacrifices plot and character in favour of some predictable 'twists' and endless, only mildly exciting chase sequences. The main character really suffers from one-dimensional characterisation; despite the best efforts of star James Anthony Pearson, he's never likable for a second and comes across as a below-average-intelligence thug.

What a relief, then, to have Dougray Scott on board as the film's villain. Scott is a delight here, a joy as he reveals in his own sheer evilness. He brings verve and vigour to his role and at times seems to be the only professional actor on board. Certainly he's the best thing about the movie and as NEW TOWN KILLERS reached its second half he was the only reason I kept watching.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 June 2009 (UK)

Also Known As:

New Town Killers

Filming Locations:

Innocent Railway Tunnel, Edinburgh

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$47,350

Company Credits

Production Co:

Independent, Str8jacket Creations, Scottish Screen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min 97 min (European Film Market)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1