Review of Down Terrace (2010) by Rob L — 15 Jan 2012

An infrequently seen gem, this deserves to be a lot better known. The location is Brighton and the cast a local crime family who gradually implode amid mutual mistrust and antagonism. Nice touches include a man sent apoplectic by an inability to undo a tie, folk music work outs thrown in for no reason, a very nasty Ulsterman and a body count that would shame Kurosawa - almost.

It put me in mind of Magnus Mills' novel, The Restraint of Beasts in its deadpan comedy - a book the film of which has been delayed for some time now. Robert Hill's performance as the patriarch is superb - he claims to have started off as a full on hippie before falling into a life of crime due to everyone else being interested in nothing but money.