Review of Tyrannosaur (2011) by Mike M — 05 Aug 2011

Tyrannosaur starts with the main protagonist literally kicking his pet dog to death. Its the first of many acts of violence in the film and signals this is not for the faint-hearted. This however is not a one-note exercise in British miserablism - it shows man at his most heinous, but there are also moments of compassion and redemption.

I've always admired Paddy Considine as an actor, and here he has made a great leap forward in also becoming a highly accomplished writer/director. From start to finish, this is extremely compelling and features three extraordinary performances.

Mullan and Marsan play variations on characters they have played in the past, but never better. The real eye-opener here though is Colman who I've only seen in comedic roles. She's jaw-dropping in this.

Tyrannosaur is powerful, essential viewing, and will stay with you for a long time.