'The Corrupted' sort of came out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly. I'd never even heard of it until it arrived on the cinema listings and it seems as though I'm only one of few who has seen, or is even aware of, it. I'd like to be able to say that this is an absolute hidden gem and it's a shame that so many people missed it but, unfortunately, I can't. It's by no means bad, but it's just nothing new or outstanding. The performances are generally great, especially Timothy Spall's, and it's engaging enough throughout, but the story is quite generic and it's instantly forgettable. While it's on though, it offers enough of the generic pleasures associated with the crime genre to please crime fans and there's some decent turns in the narrative that keep you invested, even though they aren't all that surprising. However, there are several rookie mistakes in the filmmaking here - from badly executed focus pulls to breaking the 180 degree rule - that make the whole thing feel a bit amateur. Sure, it will have obviously had a low budget, but that's no excuse for problems like this. Apart from that though, it's well made, with good shot composition and cinematography. It's bizarre, then, that the production company made no real attempt to try and get people to see it. It had a theatrical release, after all, so it must have had some money behind it. It's far from great, but it should have had the chance to find its audience. Either way, it's worth checking out. 6/10
