The Week in Review: The film - 8mm

OVERVIEW

Nicolas Cage's private detective delves into the murky world of snuff movies in Joel Schumacher's dark thriller, scripted by Seven's Andrew Kevin Walker.

CRITICAL VIEW

"Under the control of a more thoughtful director, 8mm might have caught not just the rot but the squalid enchantment of the world it investigates," suggested Anthony Quinn, adding: "As things stand, it's just not up to snuff." "This shines only the faintest of lights on the darker side of the human psyche," wrote Time Out. "About two-thirds through, the film falls apart," declared The Daily Telegraph. "A dark, dispiriting disappointment," remonstrated the Daily Mail. "Anyone expecting a chiller on the murky level of Seven can leave their expectations at home," noted the Evening Standard. But "Disconcerting and thoroughly entertaining," insisted The Times.

OUR VIEW

Schumacher skims the surface of a darkly compelling subject with this flawed thriller.

ON VIEW

8mm is out on general release, certificate 18.

123 minutes.