Subscribe to watch - 14-day free trial, then £6.99 a month
Face
Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone are members of a criminal gang that tears itself apart after a heist goes wrong, in Antonia Bird’s stylish thriller.
Director: Antonia Bird
Overview
Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone star in a stylish and exciting crime thriller from acclaimed director Antonia Bird (Safe, Priest). A close-knit gang of professional thieves plan an intricate heist but begin to turn on each other when things go wrong.
Ronan Bennett’s clever screenplay clearly posits the film as a comment on Britain’s post-Thatcherite materialist legacy, with leading character Ray (Carlyle) portrayed as a former trade union activist who sees crime as an expression of individualism, but who hankers for the return of solidarity. While Bird’s distinction direction keeps the action unfolding apace, holding together the various strands from its ensemble cast of characters, which includes performances by Damon Albarn, Lena Headey and Peter Vaughan.
Related
Last Exit to Brooklyn Last Exit to Brooklyn
Crime 1989 104 mins Director: Uli Edel
Jennifer Jason Leigh stars in the controversial drama about the underbelly of 1950s Brooklyn, from the pen of Hubert Selby Jr (Requiem for a Dream).
Ossessione Ossessione
Crime 1943 140 mins Director: Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti’s adaptation of The Postman Always Rings Twice is an electrifying tale of the destructive power of human sexuality.
Hyena Hyena
Crime 2015 112 mins Director: Gerard Johnson
In this stylish, dark crime thriller, a policeman’s complex web of underworld relationships is threatened by an internal affairs investigator.
A Bittersweet Life A Bittersweet Life
Action and Adventure 2005 120 mins Director: Kim Jee-woon and Doo Hong Jung
A hitman becomes the target in this ultra-stylish neo noir from Kim Jee-woon.
The Honeymoon Killers The Honeymoon Killers
Crime 1969 107 mins Director: Leonard Kastle
The disturbing true story of a pair of twisted lovers who posed as siblings to seduce, con and - if necessary - kill.
Bottle Rocket Bottle Rocket
Comedy 1995 91 mins Director: Wes Anderson
Wes Anderson's debut ditches kitsch in favour of surprisingly subtle comedy, in this tale of a criminally inept gang led by Owen Wilson.
The Arbor The Arbor
Biopic 2010 90 mins Director: Clio Barnard
Clio Barnard's film about Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar mixes reconstruction, interviews (performed by actors) and scenes from the plays.
Bullet Boy Bullet Boy
Drama 2005 86 mins Director: Saul Dibb
Ashley Walters impresses in the hard-hitting Hackney drama that’s still one of the best of Britain’s black urban crime films.
La Haine La Haine
Drama 1995 98 mins Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Mathieu Kassovitz’s landmark mid-90s drama throws a cinematic Molotov cocktail at structural racism, police brutality and media manipulation.
Christiane F. Christiane F.
Drama 1981 131 mins Director: Uli Edel
David Bowie’s image and music gives brooding energy to this tale of a junkie sex-worker in 70s Berlin.
Out of the Blue Out of the Blue
Drama 1980 96 mins Director: Dennis Hopper
Directed by Dennis Hopper (Easy Rider) this story of a blue-collar family coming apart features an astonishing performance from Linda Manz (Days of Heaven).
Nil by Mouth Nil by Mouth
Drama 1997 129 mins Director: Gary Oldman
Twenty-five years old and newly restored, Gary Oldman’s BAFTA-winning debut as writer-director remains a magnificent achievement.
Scum Scum
Drama 1979 97 mins Director: Alan Clarke
Director Alan Clarke examines the grim reality of borstal life in this searing remake of his previously banned television play.
Nil by Mouth Nil by Mouth
Drama 1997 129 mins Director: Gary Oldman
Twenty-five years old and newly restored, Gary Oldman’s BAFTA-winning debut as writer-director remains a magnificent achievement.
The Proposition The Proposition
Western 2006 104 mins Director: John Hillcoat
John Hillcoat and Nick Cave's brilliant, brutal bushranger western, with Guy Pearce as the outlaw tasked with tracking down his psychopathic elder brother (Danny Huston).
The Seed of the Sacred Fig The Seed of the Sacred Fig
Thriller 2024 167 mins Director: Mohammad Rasoulof
Mohammad Rasoulof's powerful, vital, Oscar and BAFTA-nominated thriller about a bureaucrat torn between loyalty to his family and the Iranian regime.
There Is No Evil There Is No Evil
Drama 2020 151 mins Director: Mohammad Rasoulof
Mohammad Rasoulof’s critical anthology film tells the stories of four executioners in Iran and the profound psychological impact of the practice.
Morvern Callar Morvern Callar
Drama 2002 93 mins Director: Lynne Ramsay
Samantha Morton plays the enigmatic title character in Lynne Ramsay’s dreamy and atmospheric road movie.
April April
Drama 2024 134 mins Director: Dea Kulumbegashvili
A doctor in rural Georgia faces scrutiny after a baby dies during childbirth in this affecting and atmospheric abortion drama.
Student Services Student Services
Drama 2010 103 mins Director: Emmanuelle Bercot
A cash-strapped student becomes an escort exposing the stark realities of economic exploitation in this uncompromising gritty French drama.
Following Following
Drama 1999 67 mins Director: Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan’s gritty neo-noir first feature about a young London writer who gets drawn into a criminal underworld.