Filth

So has it ever happened to you guys, where you see a trailer for a movie and you think... I have no idea what that movie is about and this is the first time I've ever heard of it, but something about it seems like it might be a fun ride? That's exactly what happened with Filth. I honestly have no idea where I found the trailer for this film, but I saw it and was intrigued by the concept of a renegade Scottish cop who basically does whatever the fuck he wants, including drugs, hookers, police brutality, the works. On top of it all, seeing James McEvoy in this role was appealing as I do enjoy his work.

I knew it was going to be a weird film, but I didn't know it was going to be THIS much of a weird film. And I also didn't know it was going to have an actually pretty strong story.

Filth follows the story of a crooked cop by the name of Bruce Robertson (played by James McEvoy). Robertson is up for a promotion at his local department and obviously he wants the job.

Right at the start of the movie, Robertson points out the people that are in contention for the job and he also points out their weaknesses and what he's going to do to exploit them in order to win that promotion. The other detectives are played by some decent actors and actresses like Jamie Bell, Imogen Poots, Gary Lewis, and Jim Broadbent to name a few.

If you're a fan of House of Cards, it has a very similar feel to it when McEvoy is talking to the camera, giving the audience looks as we respond to the action happening on the screen, but going in and out of that narration mode to keep the story going. McEvoy is very much playing a Scottish police version of Frank Underwood as he manipulates and really fucks over the other people in his life. Not only the other detectives, but a really nice accountant who quickly befriends him (played by Eddie Marsan) among others. And when I say fuck over, I mean sleeping with other people's wives, getting them hopped up on drugs (SO MANY DRUGS IN THIS MOVIE), and just playing petty games with them.

But behind all the drugs and this guy just being a out right asshole, there is another story taking place in the background and it has to do with Robertson's family. The movie cuts in and out of monologues being given by Robertson's wife Carole (played by Shauna MacDonald) and there is definitely something there that is affecting Bruce that is putting him on this path to destruction.

The story is definitely the kind that you might need to watch more than once to totally get the full effect of the story and the visuals. Now, I'm not totally saying that you will necessarily want to watch this movie more than once, especially with how Rated R it is (and I'll talk a little bit more about that later), but there are certain elements about the movie that you will find on a second viewing that might make it work better.

And the interesting thing about this film is that it really rides a fine line between being a comedy, having a lot of moments that remind me of Hot Fuzz, and being a full on psychological horror film.

Seriously, some of the visuals in this movie are really trippy and it really delves into the psyche of this guy who is probably the biggest asshole you'll ever come across... but at the same time you are supposed to have some sympathy for at times.

Now do you end up always having that sympathy? Not always. More than often it's not sympathy and more pity. This guy does some really abhorrent things and I think the only reason you don't totally down right hate him is because you don't really like any of the characters in this movie. Everyone seems to be out for themselves or two dumb to realize their being played and there's not really anybody you actually like.

The only exception is a woman that he meets when he attempts to save her husband (played by Joanne Froggatt). This is probably the only character you will like undeniably like in this movie and she doesn't even have enough exposure in the film for you to really get to know her.

The main star and actor worth mentioning in this film is of course McEvoy. Somehow, McEvoy really knows how to play the roles of the guys that you really want to hate, but at the same time he is able to play sympathetic while still maintaining that asshole persona. It's a confusing dynamic and he's done it before in movies like Wanted.

It's pretty impressive just watching this guy slip slowly into madness and in a way, it's very much McEvoy's Fight Club in how trippy this movie is and how incredibly Rated R it is. The atmosphere, lighting, and mature nature of this film just reminded me of Fight Club and McEvoy really does a good job with this sort of underground film that I don't think a lot of people have seen, but I could see it having a cult following.

Something you should know about this film is that it is a very hard R. Like very hard. There's a lot of sex scenes, drug taking, unnecessary violence, etc throughout this film and it's not for the faint of heart. I mean if you're totally cool with excessive mature content, you might really like this film, but there's parts of this movie that are just excessive and I feel like they're just doing it for the sake of being a Rated R film. While I don't think this story could have been told without being a Hard R, I don't know if they needed to go all the way in certain sections of the film.

Overall, Filth is an interesting character study and a great solo film for James McEvoy to show off his

acting ability. I think if I had to sum this movie up giving you a context for what this movie is like, it's a good combination of House of Cards, meets Fight Club, meets Hot Fuzz.

I know that seems like a pretty random collection of films that this movie is supposed to be, but the more I think about it, that is actually exactly what this film is. Now I don't think that this film is as good as any of those films, but I think that it is a film that is kind of a diamond in the rough. It's definitely a different kind of film and the normal movie going audience probably won't see it as their cup of tea.

However, if you're a movie snob, this might be something you might like. Just get ready for a lot of sex, drugs, and police abuse of power.

But those are my thoughts on Filth. Did you end up seeing this movie? Did you enjoy it? Is the comparison of House of Cards, Hot Fuzz, and Fight Club an accurate assessment of this film? Comment and Discuss below! You can also send me your thoughts on Twitter @cmhaugen24 as well as send me requests for films I should review in the future. If you follow me on Twitter, you can get updates on future movie news and reviews coming out of this blog.

I'll leave you with this. So this is a pretty dark film, I need something a little lighter. I might be doing a reaction post on this trailer, but in the case I don't, here's the first trailer for Spider-man: Homecoming! Enjoy!