In one of those odd coincidences that frequently crop up in the film world, last year saw two British movies that featured hit men encountering occult forces. Kill List was the first out of the blocks, gaining some incomprehensible critical adulation from those who saw it at Frightfest and widespread indifference from those who saw it elsewhere; The Devil’s Business also played festivals last year, but is only now getting a release, which at least allows a certain distance between the two films. And in truth, they have little in common beyond the one-line synopsis. It’s fair to say though that The Devil’s Business is very much the film we wanted Kill List to be.

This is a small film – and that’s not an insult. As well as having a tight 69-minute running time, the film has just four cast members and more or less entirely takes place in one location. It’s a tale driven by dialogue and character, and it’s all the better for that. Billy Clarke and Jack Gordon play hit men Pinner and Cully, sent to bump off Kist (Jonathan Hansler), a former associate of their gangland employer Bruno (Harry Miller). Pinner is an old hand at the game – a time-served killer who knows not to question his orders – while Cully is a naïve, stupid youth who can’t stop talking. As they await Kist’s arrival home, Pinner tells Cully a story of a past killing, only to be interrupted by a sudden sound. As the pair explore the seemingly empty house, they discover evidence of satanic rituals and human sacrifice. And although the shooting of Kist seems to go off without a hitch, it is only the start of a nightmare of revenge and punishment.

Mostly played as a taught two-hander, the film is mostly a subtle, moody and unnerving piece. Director Sean Hogan (already impressive as a contributor to Little Deaths) deserves credit for both creating a gripping tale out of two people talking – there’s a ten minute monologue right at the start of the film which is audacious and impressive – and crafting a twisting tale that humanises its monsters while making points about the paying of debts – something everyone here has to do one way or another. Pinner is a man damned already – a paid killer who has no compunction about murder, even when it involves those closest to him, and as the story progresses, he gets closer and closer to his inevitable reckoning and deserved punishment, while Cully is a shallow idiot who has been attracted by the false glamour of gangland life but quickly realises that he is not cut out for the job.

The film lets itself down with a dodgy bit of prosthetics in the finale, showing what would be better left unseen, but it’s the only slip in the whole affair. With its oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere, excellent performances and moments of genuine visceral horror, The Devil’s Business is one of the more impressive Brit horrors of recent years..

DAVID FLINT

BUY IT NOW (DVD)