There’s something unsettling about the idea of an ‘ordinary’ serial killer and unsettling the viewer is something that Tony does very well, primarily because of its ability to convince you of the sheer normalcy of Peter Ferdinando’s methodically studied murderer. This makes the horrible stuff all the more distressing when it comes. A murder committed in the warm light of a late summer’s afternoon in the familiar surroundings of a London suburb really sticks with you, for some reason.

David Lynch wants his curtains back

Luckily, the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously, which prevents it from tipping the balance too far into the realm of the disturbing. There’s a deep vein of black humour throughout, much of it arising from the awkward behaviour of the eponymous Dalston dweller – “What can you do for five pounds?” Tony asks of a supremely nonplussed prostitute. It helps to relieve some of the tension built up during scenes of butchery, but also adds a bit of a sneering quality at times. It’s not nice to laugh at people with mental illnesses. Even (especially?) if they’re going to chop you up in the bath later.

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It’s always nice to come across a film that actually delivers on its promises. Kicks sets out to take a look into the dangers of celebrity obsession, focusing particularly on British society’s WAG obsession, and achieves its aims with refreshing intelligence.

Set in Liverpool, the film follows Nicole, a latchkey kid who’s obsessed with the Reds’ star striker, Lee Cassidy. She is befriended by the more affluent Jasmine, who has aspirations of landing a player of her own. A close bond develops between the two, but upon discovering that the object of their affections is to depart for sunnier climes, they enact a drastic bid to prevent his defection. Ultimately, it becomes clear that, far from being worthy of Nicole’s idolisation, Lee isn’t all she thought he was cracked up to be.

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