Prime Video has just added the very tense and gritty 2020 British crime thriller movie Villain to its library.
Starring Craig Fairbrass (Avengement, Cliffhanger, Rise of the Footsoldier), he plays Eddie – a man just released from jail after serving a ten-year sentence.
Determined to leave the crime life behind, reconnect with his daughter (Izuka Hoyle) and return to managing his family’s London pub, he finds that his now drug addict brother Sean (co-writer George Russo) has not been taking care of the bar – letting it become seedy and decrepit.
It soon becomes clear that Sean has also accrued a large debt to some very nasty gangsters who want to take control of the pub as payment.
As such, Eddie finds himself pressured to break the law to protect his brother and bar.
The crime thriller was directed by Philip Barantini, who would go on to make the acclaimed movies Accused and Boiling Point.
And we would argue Villain is also worth a look, thanks to Fairbrass’ commanding lead turn, the film’s sense of authenticity and its story which grows only more and more dark as it reaches its conclusion.
In fact, we’d place the movie amongst the higher echelon of modern gritty British crime flicks alongside Avengement, Bull (also on Prime Video), Hyena, Kill List and Muscle.
Here’s a sample of some positive reviews for Villain:
The Guardian: “Sometimes a seemingly unprepossessing genre film comes along that has finer qualities than you would expect. Such is the case here.”
The Hollywood Reporter: “Standard genre material brought to life by a quietly compelling performance.”
New York Times: “Any movie containing the line ‘You need to grab that hacksaw and start on his legs’ is already halfway to winning me over, and Philip Barantini’s Villain does not disappoint.
Variety: “Brisk yet flavorful, gritty even when stylish, its occasional plot-logic leap smoothed over by a tone that deftly balances a resigned good humour with violent threat.”
Villain is now available to stream on Prime Video in the UK and Ireland.
Related: Netflix has just added a gripping, star-studded new thriller series