HYENA

Starring: Peter Ferdinando, Stephen Graham, Elisa Lasowski

Writer: Gerard Johnson

Director: Gerard Johnson

London cop Michael Logan (Ferdinando) has invested in a deal with a local Turkish drug dealer that should see him profit handsomely but problems arise when a couple of Albanian brothers show up on the scene and kill the drug dealer, jeopardising the substantial amount of cash he's already put into the enterprise. Michael now has to deal with both the Turks and the Albanians and, to complicate matters even further, he's been assigned to a special task force run by David Knight (Graham) which is investigating the very people he's trying to cut a new deal with. If that wasn't enough, a pang of conscience for a trafficked girl called Ariana (Lasowski) is going to cause even more trouble for him...

If you're looking for a flashy thriller full of car chases, intricately-choreographed punch-ups and Cockney coppers shouting "You slaaaaag!" every five minutes you might want to give this a wide berth because Hyena is the polar opposite. It's grimy and downbeat throughout. If you like your movies to have incorruptible, crusading heroes then you're not going to find one here. Ferdinando's character is arguably the least awful person in a world where the line between the cops and the criminals isn't just blurred, it's practically non-existent. He's a long way from being your archetypal knight in shining armour, though.

Viewers should be warned that this film has its fair share of brutal moments. One particular scene involving a drugged Ariana being provided for sex borders on unwatchable. It's purposely revolting and this film deserves praise for showing her life in such an uncompromising and unflinching way. I sat there feeling sick, angry, helpless and depressed; the scene is that powerful.

Elsewhere, the sudden bursts of violence are realistically repellent, light years away from glossy Hollywood shoot-em-ups. Early on, someone is hacked to death by a machete-wielding gang. Later on there's an unexpectedly savage and repeated stabbing. These events are horrible to watch because, guess what, they should be horrible to watch and, regardless of how graphic the movie becomes on occasion, nothing here feels forced or gratuitous.

One potential problem with Hyena is that it's so unremittingly bleak it risks becoming quite a slog to make it to the end. Most of its 112 minutes are pretty grim and even the relatively humorous scenes in which Michael meets up socially with his previous team ultimately serve to show what a bunch of damaged, amoral people they are. If a feel-good movie is what you're seeking, this categorically isn't it. It is, however, a gritty, relentless and involving work which portrays the seamy side of the capital in unblinking detail. It's by no means perfect and it does succumb to the odd crime story cliché but if your sensibilities aren't on the delicate side it's worth a watch.