Mark Herbert Movies

A harrowing account of the true crime story that shocked Australia, Justin Kurzel's Snowtown follows an impressionable teenager as he falls under the spell of a charismatic serial killer and gets hopelessly drawn into a vicious cycle of violence and murder. Single mother Elizabeth Harvey (Louise Harris) lives in a cramped house in the northern suburbs of Adelaide with her four young sons. When Elizabeth's current boyfriend reveals himself to be a pedophile, charismatic newcomer John Bunting (Daniel Henshall) drives him out of the neighborhood while laying on the charm, and in the process he captures the attention of her teenage son Jamie (Lucas Pittaway). But as Jamie gets closer to John, he learns that the amiable stranger's quick smile masks a dark secret. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Respected actor Paddy Considine moves to the director's chair for the first time with this emotionally powerful drama. Joseph (Peter Mullan) is a short-tempered alcoholic with a violent streak and just enough sense to know his life has gone terribly wrong. After getting in a fight with three men during a drunken bender, Joseph stumbles into a thrift shop run by Hannah (Olivia Colman). Joseph tosses random insults at Hannah for her strong religious convictions and desire to help others, but as he gets to know her better, Joseph develops a grudging admiration for Hannah. His feelings grow stronger when he learns just how dysfunctional Hannah's home life is -- she's married to James (Eddie Marsan), who has been subjecting her to humiliating physical and emotional abuse for years. Eventually, Hannah works up the courage to leave James, and Joseph takes her in. Tyrannosaur was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Shane Meadows' improvised, low-budget comedy follows the titular characters, embittered roadie Le Donk (Paddy Considine) and aspiring rapper Scorz-ayz-ee (Dean Palinczuk), as they hit the road in an effort to get the latter a guest slot at an upcoming Arctic Monkeys concert. Fifteen years ago Le Donk was on top of the world; these days he's struggling just to claw his way up though the dirt. Scorz-ayz-ee knows he could break big if he could just make the right connections. This trip could change both of their lives forever. Before they hit the stage, however, the pair stops off to see Le Donk's ex-wife Olivia (Olivia Coleman), who's now shacking up with a vanilla nice guy (Richard Graham). Insecure Le Donk takes great delight in insulting Olivia's new lover, and nearly sabotage's his best friend's big shot at stardom due to his overwhelming jealousy of Scorz-ayz-ee's genuine talent. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Freshly dumped and deeply despondent over what seems to be an endless string of disastrous relationships, lovelorn filmmaker Chris Waitt attempts to root out the source of his romantic woes by tracking down each of his ex-girlfriends and asking them point blank about his shortcomings as a boyfriend. The answers Waitt receives are frequently as pointed as his questions, providing unguarded insight into the psyche of a self-absorbed, semi-delusional Lothario who rarely managed to arrive for a date on time much less follow through on his pillow-talk promises. Later taken to task by his own mother, the long-suffering relationship bungler eventually turns to therapy, acupuncture, and even Viagra in hopes of learning the secrets to loving like a true grown-up. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Tired and irritable, Zakes (Will Ash) and Beth (Christine Bottomley) drive home along the M1, a familiar journey full of harshly lit service stations and bad coffee. When a white truck narrowly avoids hitting them, its back doors open to reveal a woman terrified and screaming caged up inside. Unsure if what he has seen is real, Zakes calls the police but drives on. Beth is furious that he hasn't done more to help and at the next petrol station storms off. When she doesn't return, Zakes slowly realizes that she too has been snatched by the white truck driver and is forced into a vicious game of cat and mouse with a ruthless killer who has terrifying plans for his human cargo. This gripping indie horror release is brought to you by IFC Films.

British filmmaker Shane Meadows looks back at his own youth in this semi-autobiographical comedy drama that examines skinhead culture in the U.K. It's the summer of 1983, and Shaun (Thomas Turgoose) is a 12-year-old boy edging into adolescence without a father, his dad having lost his life the year before in the Falkland Islands War. A gang of skinheads -- tough guys in their teens and early twenties who shave their heads, wear Ben Sherman polo shirts, and Dr. Martens boots, and listen to ska music -- walk the streets in Shaun's neighborhood, and one day they start picking on him. Shaun, however, shows he can give as good as he gets, and gang leader Woody (Joe Gilgun) takes a liking to the boy. Woody takes Shaun under his wing, and he starts hanging out with the skins, getting advice on dressing right from Woody's girlfriend, Lol (Vicky McClure), and learning about Jamaican music from West Indian skinhead Milky (Andrew Shim). However, the gang begins to change when Combo (Stephen Graham) is released from prison and returns to the neighborhood; like many skinheads, Combo has been recruited by the National Front, an openly racist right-wing political party, and soon the gang begins to fracture, with Combo taking one faction toward violence and petty crime against blacks, Indians, and Pakistanis, while Woody and his friends follow a more benign path. This Is England received its North American premiere at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi