Surge

Centred around a blistering lead turn by Ben Whishaw, this nerve-racking thriller depicts a young man's spiral into violence and lawlessness over a frantic 24-hour period. Joseph is an airport security guard who always seems to hover on the periphery. He's so quiet that none of his colleagues even know it's his birthday, but they happily eat the cake he brings in to celebrate. After a disastrous lunch with his parents (the fantastic Ellie Haddington and Ian Gelder), Joseph goes on a crime spree through London, liberated by living by his own rules, seemingly for the first time. Debut director Aneil Karia (best known for Channel 4's Top Boy) uses claustrophobic close-ups and hand-held framing to nail-biting effect, and the film is frequently unbearably tense. There is an overreliance on symbolism, and the exact reasons for Joseph's turmoil are left unsaid, but there are tantalising layers to Whishaw's lived-in performance and he is the reason to keep watching.