Julian Barratt

It seems only natural for an expansive anthology like ABCs of Death 2 to offer up such a mixed bag
of short films. There are 26 in total, each running for approximately four to five minutes. Such the-abcs-of-death-2-stills-3time constraints act as a hindrance to many of the directors involved in the project. A large number of the shorts are either underdeveloped or conventional in terms of their story. However, there are a handful of standouts that make the viewing experience worthwhile.

The increasingly prolific Ben Wheatley returns to screens a little under a year since his gallows-humour effigy Sightseers. Like a talent possessed, he seems like a filmmaker anxious to capitalise on his growing cult recognition and harness larger and more challenging material, a successful strategy that has give him a growing fanbase on both sides of the pond.

A Field in England Directed by Ben Wheatley Written by Amy Jump UK, 2013 Since his impressive debut Down Terrace (2009), Ben Wheatley has managed to establish himself as one of the most promising young directors in the UK today. The black and white (English) civil war-era A Field in England is both delightfully eccentric and …