The Criminal review

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Evidence for the prosecution: it's a British crime movie. It stars Eddie Izzard. It layers levels of plot beneath what appears to be a simple murder mystery. And every other word starts with F and ends in K.

In its defence, there are some good performances here, most notably Bernard Hill as a grouchy yet dedicated copper, while Eddie Izzard makes the most of a biggish role as a weird forensics officer. But even they can't save the film when it shifts from stylised thriller to sub-X-Files `conspiracy' territory.

The judgement? It's not dreadful, just in the wrong place. The film would work fine as one of those two-part dramas that ITV loves to churn out. TV-level stars, TV-level plot twists. Admit it: it's a TV-movie, members of the jury. Take the prisoner down.

NOVERDICT

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.