For the Sake of Vicious review – ugly home-invasion thriller whose title says it all

Blood spills, kneecaps shatter and excitement dwindles during a thriller that fails to build on a taut opening act

Ultraviolence is too often seen as a cinematic end in itself - but the results are often ugly, boring, or both. This Canadian home-invasion thriller falls into this trap, so ferociously focused on the scent of blood that it double-kneecaps one character not once but twice: by hammer, then by gunshot. But given that co-director Gabriel Carrer's past credits include Kill, The Demolisher, and Death on Scenic Drive, we probably shouldn't be expecting The Bridges of Madison County here.

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