True North

The fate of a Scottish fishing boat sailing close to bankruptcy hits murky waters when the dodgy Riley (Mullan) comes up with a scheme to smuggle Chinese immigrants into Scotland from Holland by hiding them in the hold. This is done without the knowledge of the honest skipper (Lewis) but his son (Compston) sees it as the only possible way for the boat to survive, even if he really isn't keen on the idea. This raw and unflinching drama is an absolute triumph, propelled by the magnificent central trio of the straight-down-the-line Lewis, the conflicted Compston and the initially mercenary but ultimately anguished Mullan. What starts out as a tough but grimly amusing account of the hardships of North Sea trawling slowly evolves, first into a gripping morality play, then a heart-wrenching examination of the darkest corners of the soul. [Paul Greenwood]