Undertow

Set on a rural farm in America's Deep South, Undertow is a dark film about a family tainted by violence, greed and murder.

The film, directed by David Gordon Green (George Washington, All The Real Girls) and starring Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot), tells the story of a softly-spoken father John, his troublesome older son Chris (Bell) and the sickly, youngest boy Tim.

Their mother died long before and the family live a less-than-idyllic isolated life, tending to the pigs.

When John's brother Deel turns up on their doorstep fresh from prison, he is invited to stay. It turns out the menacing, swaggering Deel is after much more and will stop at nothing to get it. John's dead wife was Deel's girlfriend first and Deel also feels cheated out of some gold coins left by their father.

Receiving comparisons to Charles Laughton's 1955 gothic classic Night Of The Hunter, Undertow, although more mainstream, has all the hallmarks of a Green film - subtle performances, a poor Southern setting, poetic and dream-like sequences and atmospheric cinematography from collaborator Tim Orr.

Part thrilling, part tragic, the film features some fine performances, particularly from Bell, who also pulls off a southern accent.

The indie film was shot in rural Georgia for less than $2 million but still manages to be an attractive and gripping drama.

Beware of the opening sequence involving Chris's bare foot, a long drop and a rusty nail - it's a guaranteed cringe-maker.

Showing at Duke of York's Picturehouse, Preston Circus, Brighton, until Thursday.