Lost River

Ryan Gosling makes his debut as a writer/director with a twisted adult fairy tale heavily influenced by the visual style of David Lynch and soundtrack design of Nicolas Winding Refn. A financially-strapped single mother (Christina Hendricks of Mad Men) is offered work in a bizarre cabaret club where ultra-realistic torture mutilation acts top the bill. Meanwhile her teenage son (a splendid Iain De Caestecker) steals scrap metal from wrecked houses, putting him on the radar of a crazed, lip-severing psycho (Dr Who's Matt Smith) who runs their no-go neighbourhood. With heavy symbolism placed on decay - both moral and physical - Gosling is clearly angling for a parable on American consumerism, but he's more concerned with arresting fantasy-noir visuals, surreal dreamscapes and weird atmospheres than a coherent story. Still, despite being indulgent and unfocused, some incredibly potent imagery (including Hendricks's debasement in a clear plastic "iron" maiden) gives the film hypnotic power and elements of surprise.