Rancid
By Ross Forbes, Blockbuster.co.uk

Don’t let the title put you off. It may sound like a low rent horror film, but Rancid is actually a well-made thriller. Working in style like a cross between Se7en and the camera work of a Tony Scott film, the story follows struggling writer James Hayson ( Matthew Settle – I Still Know What You Did Last Summer) as he tries to complete his current novel. A novel that has not advanced a single page since his girlfriend left him six years before.

Since then he has moved from dead end job to another and currently works at a call centre for a telemarketing company. At a school reunion an accidental meeting with his ex rekindles their relationship (Fay Masterson – Eyes Wide Shut), behind the back of her new rich and abusive husband.

But this is all flashback, as the film begins with the police finding the mutilated body of Hayson’s ex on her bed. Hayson himself is hidden in the house, and when he manages to escape he becomes the prime suspect in her murder.

The film may have a small budget but looks like a big budget thriller, the editing and camera work are all the standard of a big budget action thrillers. Even if none of the actors are big names in Rancid, and are normally seen in supporting roles, they play their parts with a realistic conviction that grabs you and allows you to easily empathise with the characters.

This murder thriller is well worth a watch, it’s atmosphere, acting and style lifts Rancid above the average low budget turn out in this genre. It is worth 90 minutes of your time to find out if James Hayson is a murderer.

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