Compulsion

Bluesky

Sun, sea and seduction characterise the latest work from Neil Marshall, which speaks the language of Eighties and early Nineties straight-to-VHS erotic thrillers, yet does so with considerably more style. Marshall regular Charlotte Kirk, who co-wrote, stars as Diana, a petty criminal from the East End of London who has somehow washed up in Malta with a scuzzy boyfriend, whilst Polish up-and-comer Anna-Maria Sieklucka, best known as the sultry star of the 365 Days series, is Evie, an apparently shy young woman taking a break in her stepfather’s spacious Maltese villa. Diana has her eyes on the villa’s safe, but seems to find Evie pretty appealing too; whilst Evie, in an uncertain situation with her girlfriend, who has just flounced off home, struggles to resist temptation.

Just to spice it up a little, there is also a serial killer on the prowl. The opening scene of the film, after a nice boat ride into Valetta across a sunset sea, involves a man taking a shower who gets a nasty surprise courtesy of a slender figure clad in black latex. Is this one of our heroines? If so, which one? Careful framing and a brace of red herrings keep us guessing. We spend a bit of time with the detectives on the case, one of whom has been shipped in from West Yorkshire because this sort of thing doesn’t happen in Malta so nobody has any expertise. Meanwhile, we learn that Diana’s boyfriend owes money to a nasty local crime lord, and we see him struggle with jealousy although he knows that seducing Evie is a necessary part of Diana’s plan.

Compared to much of Marshall’s output, this is a tea party, but fans will still find plenty to enjoy. The absence of car chases doesn’t mean an absence of nice looking cars. Kirk still gets a chance to show off her fighting skills and put the fear into mean who cross the line. There’s also an action sequence towards the end which is among the director’s best – a fight which is unusually realistic in its depiction of how stabbing tends to go, and not at all like what you’ll be used to seeing onscreen. Shot in a single six minute take, gory and exhausting and full of twists, it’s wonderfully choreographed and thrilling to watch.

Kirk and Sieklucka have a natural chemistry which keeps things sizzling throughout, especially as neither character knows if she can trust the other. The sexual content is sufficient to make their arcs believable, without being exploitative, and is itself believable, which sadly cannot be said of every encounter between women in a male-directed film. We also get plenty of shots of the two glammed up in evening dresses or lounging by the pool, but none of it feels inappropriately gratuitous; Ali Asad’s camera takes in the scenery in a similar way, guaranteeing the goodwill of the Maltese tourist board.

The weak link, of course, is the acting, with a couple of really clunky supporting performances that threaten to break the spell of the rest. There’s also some distinctly cheesy dialogue, but this doesn’t feel out of place. All in all, it’s an above average example of the genre, and it never takes itself too seriously, with a wonderfully awkward twist close to the end. Viewers choosing this sort of film know what they’re letting themselves in for, and they’re likely to have a good time.

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