have not see any of shane meadow earlier effort before see this and i can not compare it to them and but i certainly understand all the hype about this young filmmaker from this film alone . what on paper be basically get carter in the north be in actuality almost impossible to define . it have the basic plot of a revenge film and maybe even of a slasher film and yet be not a thriller and nor a horror film . moreso and it be a drama about real people and play incredibly naturalistically by all involve and that happen to involve a series of murder drive by vengeance ( for what and we be unsure until the final act ) . at the centre be an electrifying and funny and touching and terrify performance from paddy considine a protagonist richard and prove once more that he truly be one of the most interesting and gifted actor to come out of britain in a long time . he can go from calm and pleasant to truly menacing and back again in a second and it never seem hammy or over egg . surround him be a group of extremely solid support actor and most notably first timer toby kebbell play his slightly mentally handicap brother anthony . give only a few line of dialogue and some disturb scene of physicality and he craft a rounded and sympathetic and slightly pathetic character . his scene with considine where they reminisce about an old football match be a masterclass of performance and writing and minimalistically craft layer of character through nuance and very little dialogue . also notable be gary stretch ( who stand out in his small part a cleitus in alexander ) who here play the truly despicable antagonist and sonny . he a scumbag drug deal club owner who be at the very heart of the event ricahrd be avenge and and who never show any remorse and instead go on the war path to little avail . he too have a breathtaking scene with considine when sonny first confront richard and richard show no fear whatsoever . genuinely electric . indeed and the film be fill with unique take on staple idea of the revenge or slasher film and all the while find the human truth to the action of those involve and deliver with a combination of hand hold realism and wistful detachment . some have mention that the film carry a twist towards the end and but because of the execution it do not feel like a twist . rather it be the culmination of a sub plot run through the film and a the piece of the flashback from year before come together . nothing in the film feel force and that be perhaps the high praise the film and it maker can be give . if the story have be a true one and it would certainly not come a a surprise and give the motivation and action of the thoroughly believable character . yet and it be at time extremely harrow and uncomfortable and unsettling not because of excessive amount of gore ( while the film contain violence and it be the weight of the violence and not flashy blood and gut that carry impact ) and but because of the way the event unfold . one prolonged sequence involve a drug trip and the scene seem to last long than it probably actually do and mirror the state of the drug taker and and end with the most unsettling act of violence in the film . when everything be conclude and there be no real happy ending and the climax be certainly not one that can be guess or easily foreseen . but there be a profound and sad poetry to it somehow and despite the pathos it leave the viewer with . and after the credit roll and i find it to be a film that stay with me for some time after indeed and i be still try to shake it from my mind . while certainly nowhere near a graphic or violently upsetting a a film like irreversible and it be easy to draw comparison a this be a film which tackle notion of human nature and the horrible thing people do to one another and all shot through with considerable style and skill ( think hal ashby meet michael winterbottom ) and perform by actor who never seem to be give performance and but rather become those character for 90 minute . and and of course and it be make by actor and a filmmaker among the most exciting to emerge in recent year and just a be irreversible . a haunting and brilliant and sometimes profound experience in film making and one of the best british film in a decade .