Straightheads (2007)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Dan Reed

Writer:

Dan Reed (writer)

Release Date:

27 April 2007 (UK)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Let the revenge fit the crime

Plot:

After surviving a gang rape and mugging, a middle aged businesswoman and her 23 year old boyfriend plot to murder their attackers, but find themselves conflicted about carrying out their plans.

Plot Keywords:

Rape | Party | Night | Sex | Revenge

Cast

Danny Dyer	...	Adam
Gillian Anderson	...	Alice
Adam Rayner	...	Jago
Antony Byrne	...	Misha (as Anthony Byrne)
Anthony Calf	...	Heffer
Ralph Brown	...	Jamie
Steven Robertson	...	Bill
Gugu Mbatha-Raw	...	Young PA
Neil Finnighan	...	Man On Horse
Francesca Fowler	...	Sophie

Also Known As:

Closure (USA) (DVD title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal violence including rape, sexual content, language and some drug use.

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:18 | Ireland:18 | USA:R | Singapore:M18 (cut) | Finland:K-15 | Australia:MA | Italy:T | South Korea:18 | Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Bridgnorth, Shropshire, England, UK

Company:

DJ Films

Trivia:

‘Straightheads’ was funded partly with £500,000 lottery money, provided by the UK Film Council.

Goofs:

Continuity: The couple's car windscreen is smashed twice - by the deer and then by the gang; but in the shots showing them then next morning, the windscreen is untouched.

Soundtrack:

Nothing

More thought-provoking than your typical "rape/revenge" fare.

A wealthy businesswoman (Gillian Anderson) and her newly acquired working class lover (Danny Dyer) are viciously attacked while on a drive the woods. Afterwards, the only thing the woman can think of is revenge, and she calculates a plan to fulfill that. This is an intriguing modern-day "rape/revenge" thriller that focuses more on psychology and gender (as well as other social constructs) instead of the violence and action sequences that typically go hand-in-hand with the subgenre. That said, rape/revenge fans most likely won't be disappointed with this one, as it's fairly brutal and shocking. It's a little short, clocking in just over 70 minutes, so by the end I thought to myself, "is that all there is?" Yet the film did have something of an impact on me, because I found myself thinking about it all the next day and recommending it to friends. Gillian Anderson is excellent and does things you would never in a million years think you'd see Gillian Anderson do on-screen. I'll leave it at that. Danny Dyer also gives a fantastic dramatic performance. I'm not sure why he gets such a bad rap in the UK. He isn't quite famous in the States yet, but he's great in the few films I've seen him in. Thumbs up on this thought-provoking thriller, though I can't help feeling there's a chunk of the film missing.