Blood - BFI London Film Festival screening

Joe Fairburn (Paul Bettany) is an ambitious, hard-nosed police detective working in a tight team of loyal, like-minded colleagues that includes his brother Chrissie (Stephen Graham). The brothers have grown up hearing macho tales of instant justice and brutal interrogation tactics their father Lenny (Brian Cox) got away with when he was chief of police, though Lenny’s righteous goading of his sons is dismissed due to his age and Alzheimer’s. While investigating the brutal murder of a young girl, Joe’s indignant disgust about the case gives way to more dangerous emotions, leading him to make choices that will change everything for him and those closest to him. Following last year’s The Awakening, BAFTA award-winning director Nick Murphy returns to the Festival with another ingenious genre piece, a gripping cop thriller exploring issues of morality and masculinity, which features a superb cast of heavyweight British acting talent.

The film stars: Paul Bettany, Mark Strong and Brian Cox