The Corrupted

Ex-convict Liam (Sam Claflin) gets dragged into a murky world of violence when his brother falls foul of a corrupt property developer (Timothy Spall). Set out in the style of a Hollywood crime drama, the convoluted plot approaches subjects like social housing, police corruption and London's Olympic legacy with all the subtlety of a chainsaw. Throwing in side plots that add little, the film takes the most pleasure in its procession of unnecessarily elaborate death scenes. Timothy Spall leads the unpleasantness as the sneering villain, hamming it up while lead Claflin wanders through a story that, for the most part, he isn't really involved in. Of the ensemble cast, Noel Clarke stands out as a police detective on Spall's tail, in a role that should have been more substantial. Rather than a coherent conspiracy thriller, The Corrupted is several unrelated ideas jammed awkwardly together, and soaked in blood.