"“A worthy piece of British cinema...”"

Based entirely on a true story, to many Andrew Douglas' sophomore feature unwantme2killhim? will seem preposterous and illusory – yet within this remarkable cyber space thriller, is a picture that does in fact speak to a generation of people, picking up on the dark and ominous world of the internet. So many people can concede to having built relationships online, based on little more than a profile picture and a name, and this plays on that intrinsic naïvety and gullibility, and how we are capable of falling for the most innocuous of online schemes. Douglas manages to portray a surreal nightmare and somehow makes it seem plausible – and despite the fact it's based on real life occurrences, given the wealth to this extraordinary tale, that's still quite a feat.

Jamie Blackley plays Mark, a typical teenage boy; casually flirting with girls at school, and carrying such tendencies home with him, where he speaks to Rachel (Jaime Winstone) online, forming a bond with the elusive stranger he met on the web. However when Rachel reveals her identity as the older sister of his classmate John (Toby Regbo), Mark is instructed to keep an eye on the troubled, and lonely youngster at school. Still desperate to impress his new crush, Mark does as he's told, however this newly formed friendship becomes somewhat intense, as Rachel admits to being the victim of domestic abuse, which leads Mark and John to Janet (Liz White) – a secret government agent.

Though question marks must be raised over some of the acting performances – and much of the dialogue – uwantme2killhim? survives off its incredible true story, as one that is bound to compel you. Having such a story at your disposal does not always guarantee an accomplished picture, but Douglas, alongside writer Mike Walden, must be commended for their efforts, as the structure and way this story is being told is masterfully done. Presented in such a way that the viewer remains completely transfixed until the bitter end, this duplicitous tale doesn't feel too far away from We Need to Talk About Kevin, in how much the audience are being sporadically fed information across the movie, as we build towards the grand finale, perfectly maximising the effect of this story.

The very fact we see Mark commit an awful crime in the very first scene – to then being arrested moments after – means that instantly we know what he's done and what it is we're building towards. Such a masterstroke creates a foreboding atmosphere, which remains prevalent throughout as we watch this innocent, ordinary kid get involved in this bizarre set of events. We spend the entire length of this title attempting to work out what exactly happens to this increasingly likeable and empathetic character – what possesses him to commit this crime? How does one person grow to become capable of such an act? Blackley turns in a commendable performance too, justifying his inclusion amidst the fact that he certainly doesn't look like a 16 year old boy. He plays hat vulnerable naivety so well, allowing us to believe in the story off the back of such sincerity.

On a more negative note, the ending is frustratingly unsubtle, and though the story does need some explaining, it's spoon-feed to the audience, not allowing us the chance to use our imaginations at all, as while the facts may be vital, the evidence is not so much. There are so many layers to this substantial tale, that perhaps it may have been beneficial to create a television series instead, as given the depth to the narrative, this would work brilliantly as a three or four part series – with a shocking and divinatory ending to maintain your attention.

That's not to say this doesn't make a good movie however, so just be sure to give this film a chance and not be fooled by the terrible title. It may seem somewhat alienating - as though appealing for a distinct, younger crowd – but you need to simply ignore that notion, because this is a worthy piece of British cinema.