THIS WEEK sees a limited release in LA for Citadel, a creepy and atmospheric British thriller from director Ciaran Foy.
Clocking in at just 84 minutes, Citadel is an inventive and atmospheric tale centering around Tommy Cowley (Aneurin Barnard) a young father inflicted with chronic agoraphobia since his wife was brutally attacked by a gang of a twisted feral children. Trapped in a condemned but not yet abandoned trio of tower blocks archly named Edenstown, he finds himself terrorised by the same gang, who now seem intent on taking his baby daughter. Torn between the help of an understanding nurse and a vigilante priest, Tommy sets out to learn the nightmarish truth surrounding these hooded children. He also discovers that to be free of his fears, he must finally face the demons of his past and enter the one place that he fears the most – the abandoned tower block known as the Citadel.
There’s a strong anti-welfare undertone to this movie, but also a evident disgust with bleeding heart liberalism. The Citadel isn’t fully satisfying either as a horror movie nor a thriller, but nonetheless director Foy does a creditable job on a low budget by using the naturally sinister surroundings and suggesting the horror, rather than have it jump out at you. No boo! movie this…
Cast: Aneurin Barnard, James Cosmo, Jake Wilson, Wunmi Mosaku
Director-Screenwriter: Ciarán Foy
Producers: Katie Holly, Brian Coffey
No rating, 84 minutes.
Now playing at: Loew’s Broadway Four, 1441 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica.
