Thunder Road (15)

Winner of the coveted Grand Jury Award at South by Southwest in 2018, Thunder Road is a genuinely innovative, startlingly confident feature debut that introduces a major talent to the US indie scene in its writer, director and star Jim Cummings.

Expanded from his award-winning 2016 short of the same name, it balances affecting drama with brutal comedy, both of which come from a deep and complicated place. Cummings is Jim Arnaud, a policeman undergoing a personal meltdown following his divorce and the death of his mother. An often ridiculous creation as he navigates grief, single fatherhood to his young daughter Crystal (Kendal Farr) and stresses at work, tense and angry and profoundly self-pitying, Cummings nevertheless elicits your support for Arnaud via superbly written dialogue and a shockingly vulnerable and authentic performance.

Raw, uncomfortable and original, Thunder Road is a remarkable tragicomedy that digs deep into the spiritual and economic crises of America’s heartland and will have you both laughing and thinking right from its unforgettable, single shot 12-minute opening scene.

Cert: 15

Running time: 1hr 30mins