The night of the Sunflowers ****
(Cert 15; 120 mins)
On the basis of his first feature, writer/director Jorge Sanchez-Cabezudo is a striking new talent. Set in the rural backwaters of Spain, this atmospheric thriller has the clever plotting and dark motives that remind you of a Coen brothers classic such as Fargo.
A small-town tragedy is the starting point for a film told in six sections that could all be self-contained short stories but all enhance our understanding of the bigger picture and the unexpected connections between random individuals.
When a woman is attacked and beaten by a sinister travelling salesman, the consequences and fatal misunderstandings lead to a showdown between her husband and the last resident of an abandoned village.
Death, deception and conspiracy follow in a suspenseful saga where all the intricate pieces come together in an intriguing, ironic tale of human frailty and moral failure.