Ultimately his story draws more energy from class than from criminality: awash in sludgy browns and rotting greens - the colors of poverty and decomposition - this unpredictable oddity is a little bonkers but a lot original.

In easily her best performance - and sadly, one few will see, given the film's modest release strategy - Jessica Biel stars as a single mother in Cold Rock, Washington.

Illustrates the problem of class mobility with a dark, troubling premise that holds a harsh light up to our own assumptions and expectations.

Long on atmosphere and short on sense, The Tall Man becomes less gripping as it grows more ridiculous.

Spits out enough scares and twists to maintain our interest, but the film's psycho-sociological layer is almost as cheesy and unconvincing as its low-rent action scenes.