Director: Danny Boyle

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Kerry Fox, Christopher Eccleston,

Original Release Date: 1994

Scores: Technical: 80, Story: 85, Acting: 85, Overall Score: 85

Shallow Grave, one of the first major breaks in film for now brilliant English director, Danny Boyle. He went on to make such great films as Trainspotting and 28 Days Later (Alright I suppose he hasn’t made a huge mark yet, but from the films I’ve seen he’s had a great track record lately). 

Shallow Grave is a good, solid thriller with a splendid streak of dark humor and interesting questions and plot. The plot itself? Quite basic really. Three good friends/roommates are looking for a fourth lodger in their apartment. They find one suitable, a mysterious and charming “writer”, who promptly drops dead that night. They find him nude in his room, cold dead, and find with him a briefcase filled full of money. And from there on, the thrill gets thrilling and the dark gets darker. Heh. An interesting thought, almost a morality test. How do the friends react? What do they do with the money? Will they crack? Betray? Confess? Turn it in? Go insane? He replicates the frame of this film in the more family-oriented, lighter morality sequel-in-spirit, Millions, where instead a young child with a conscience and good will finds a load of money.

Great direction and I dug the cast as well, Ewan McGregor is splendid, and Christopher Eccleston delivers a maddeningly psychotic performance as the film develops. Add to that the atmospheric and satisfying ending, and I recommend this for sure. Simple, well-delivered concept, I highly recommend giving this film a quick rent if you haven’t seen it. Great early Boyle and McGregor, they tend to make great films when they’re together, like the earlier Boyle-McGregor film I reviewed, Trainspotting.

Review By: Sanbud Tehrani

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