Thriller

‘Harry Brown’ opens with a group of youths initiating a fellow hoodie into their ASBO culture. Then we cut to a pair motorcycling through a park and a woman gets accidentally shot, the pair flee the scene and get run over. The whole thing is shot on a camera phone. It’s a visceral and arresting beginning in what is a stylish film. But something is lacking in this crime thriller by director Daniel Barber. Read the full story

Since this sequel starts off exactly where The Descent left things, there’s no point sitting through it unless you enjoyed the first instalment. However, luckily for Brit film company Celador, plenty of punters did just that, so The Descent 2 is just as likely to be a hit – and not just in the surprise way that the original one was. Read the full story

Sam Raimi made his name with Evil Dead in 1982 and his fortune a few decades later with Spider-man. He could pretty much go anywhere from there, although I’m sure long-time fans were relieved when he announced he was returning to his roots with a spine-chiller of a thriller.

And so we have Drag Me To Hell, a flick that follows the story of Christine Brown (Alison Lohman), and ambitious LA loan officer who has it all on a plate until she gets on the wrong side of an old lady facing financial ruin (did she not learn anything about not messing with gammy-eyed crazies from Hansel and Gretel?).

Now, I’m sure plenty of us have wanted to curse the odd loans officer in our time (verbally, at least), but I’d still say Alison doesn’t really deserve eternal damnation (or the plague of flies buzzing after her) for denying a mortgage extension. Still, with a spell cast over her she must race against the clock to break the curse until evil closes in and she’s dragged right in through the gates of hell.

As for the viewers, they’re dragged through a rollercoaster rather than cinema hell – just as long as they don’t expect too much.