The Killer Inside Me

Michael Winterbottom's bold adaptation of Jim Thompson's The Killer Inside Me won't be to everyone's taste, but Thompson fans should rejoice at seeing a film that truly captures the dark heart of this great novelist's work. As Lou Ford, the small town sheriff harbouring murderous impulses, Casey Affleck is magnificent, brilliantly suggesting the twisted desires that lurk under his bland exterior.

Winterbottom filters everything through this character's skewed perspective, including his relationships with prostitute Joyce (Jessica Alba) and sweetheart Amy (Kate Hudson), establishing an unsettlingly strange tone that leaves us wondering how much of the onscreen events should be taken literally. A sticking point for many viewers will be the film's violence, particularly when it is directed against Ford's female victims.

Yes, it is sickening and hard to watch, but it's also an essential part of the film's framework, and Winterbottom handles it extremely well. There are misjudgements along the way (Bill Pullman leaves no scenery unchewed), but as a whole this is a hugely impressive piece of work, and one that will undoubtedly leave a mark on anyone who sees it.