Review of Filth (2013) by Frank C — 03 Oct 2014

Filth is a rare film in that it leaves me personally divided on how I feel about the film. James McAvoy delivers a sterling performance as Bruce Robertson, and his scenes in the trailer are perhaps the only reason I saw this film at all.

The story starts off strong enough, laying the foundation for all of Bruce's troubles and actions for the rest of the film. The sheer lack of a shit given by the protagonist is refreshing and a brutally true interpretation of the film's title. But a quarter of the way into the movie, that's when things start coming apart at the seams. I found some of the solo scenes for Bruce to be a bit excessive, as if to drive the point home that he is bipolar. The film takes turns with comedy, drama, and psychological horror, but it really doesn't check enough boxes to call itself any of the three. The jokes don't hit hard enough, the drama is fleeting, and the scares are brief.

In some ways, Filth felt more like an extended television episode, take away the theatrical ending. I might just be saying that due to the excess of TV I have been consuming of late, but the film simply doesn't feel like a finished project. That said, it was enjoyable enough to merit its rating.