By

The Corrupted

Pointless nastiness

Just in case you’ve not had your fill recently of hard-boiled, gritty crime dramas, you could take a look at this potboiler from England. Or not. An ex-con trying to go straight becomes caught up, thanks to his hothead brother, in a world of greed, deception, double-and triple-crossing, and a few, um, pointlessly elaborate murders. It’s a tale cobbled together from many, many better noir efforts. That said, it’s worth a look solely for Timothy Spall’s sneering villain. This actor is always fun to watch, even if he’s chewing the scenery like he’s coming off a week’s fast. 

103 min, Nov 29