Orphans

A very good debut film from the actor-director Peter Mullan. Some will criticise it for being far too 'unrealistic' and fantastical in tone, particularly with at least one or two of the moments that take place in the narrative, but Mullan's film feels far more real and poignant as a result, shifting between comedy and drama in a way that has a greater effect than more 'realistic' dramas.

I admit this was a bit too bleak even for me. There's obviously a lot of strong violence, plenty of bloody injuries shown and the various Scottish characters are shown as being even paler than the (if I may say so) average Scot. Their like walking (and swearing) ghosts. I didn't fully engage with this film as it just seemed so grim, I wasn't sure's much to encourage me to want to find out what happened However, I imagine this sort of film will grip/appeal to other people more than it did me.

An unusual mix of dark comedy and tragedy involving a host of colourful character.

Certainly worth the watch. It's surreal, funny, and disturbing.