Shallow Grave (1994)

Danny Boyle's directorial debut is a slick, inventive and at times gruesome movie owing a great deal to the Coen brothers' Blood Simple. It bursts with energy, springs macabre surprises and features wonderful performances from the leads; it gave a much-needed shot in the arm to the British film industry.

The critic hails Shallow Grave as the best British thriller in years, a chilling and claustrophobic heart-stopper centred on a moral dilemma. They single out the frighteningly realistic characters and relentless pacing that packs a lot into its short runtime.

The critic praises the film's macabre black-comic crime caper as a triple-crossing treat and sour delight, highlighting its cynical take on nasty, greedy characters and the standout early performances, especially Ewan McGregor's.

A smart, stylish Scottish shocker whose visual suavity and formal framing are its greatest strengths, though it is at times too clever for its own good. It is thoroughly modern, quick and enjoyably excessive.

The film has the makings of a respectable modern murder story but never quite gels because the three central characters are too unpleasant and boring to identify with. Boyle shows flashes of style in the body-disposal scenes.

A black comedy that turns progressively darker and bloodier as three unpleasant roommates descend into murder and paranoia after finding a corpse and cash. It aspires to class but ends up feeling hermetically sealed and vaguely futuristic rather than enjoyably lowdown.

The review calls it a gritty noir that launched the Brit-film boost of the Nineties, praising its propulsive thrill ride and amoral characters capturing smug materialism.

The film is an impressively assured and highly accomplished British feature that doesn't dwell on moral niceties but goes straight for the gut. John Hodge's screenplay has unrelenting forward momentum, and Boyle's direction is agile and invigorating even with most action in one flat; as the friends fall out it loses some black comic edge but gains in mayhem.

The critic praises Danny Boyle's balanced direction of tension and wit in this dark thriller about flatmates who keep a dead lodger's money, highlighting the paranoia and greed revealed. The actors are perfectly matched, though the ending has a note of unintentional absurdity.