A sullen teenager, Tom, is upset about his family’s move from London to rural Devon. But then a dark family secret is revealed, changing everything.

The War Zone is actor Tim Roth’s directorial debut, and he does a great job directing it. The fact that he chose a story involving such a thorny issue as inc*st and interfamilial ab*se is a testament to the fact that he didn’t want an easy transition into directing films.

A stellar cast including Tilda Swinton and Colin Farrell but special mentions need to go to Freddie Cunliffe as Tom, Lara Belmont as Jessie and Ray Winstone as ‘Dad’ the abuser. Sometimes devils don’t have horns but instead have distractingly amiable personalities and the gift of the gab, which is how Winstone plays this beast.

A shocker that somehow gets darker as it goes on but a great achievement.

4 out of 5 stars