Watch Puritan For Free

Highly Overrated But Still Good

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

I saw this director's first film (The Late Twentieth) in a cinema in London about four years ago. I wasn't very impressed, though I did think the film had something about it. I have been checking back every now and then on IMDb regarding him since, and finally got around to seeing Puritan yesterday (stumbled across it in Blockbusters in Stepney, where the film is set....) Puritan has hallmarks of film noir. Most obviously, this is in its dark lighting, probably intended to cover up the low production values, which was one of the main reasons film noir was invented back in the 1930's in the first place. But Puritan synthesises film noir with supernatural horror, making it seem a little like a Cronenberg film, and referencing East London's spectral history, such as Hawskmoor, a nod to the great Alan Moore. It is about a washed up writer on the paranormal, Simon Puritan, whose life fell apart after his wife died, hitting the bottle big time, and now survives by being a medium giving spiritual readings.But one day a mysterious, bandaged man in a hat turns up and pushes Puritan off in a radical new direction, involving a beautiful woman, and her rich, shady husband. If this sounds conventional thriller territory, then it is, but Puritan is genuinely involving and unexpectedly twisty in novel ways. More importantly, the film, unlike so many other modern, low budget films, both horror and film noir, has a real, tender heart in its love story, which drives the film. This is aided by an unexpectedly good performance by Nick Moran, who displays a vulnerability and neediness that is at times crushing. He is helped by excellent, unnerving performances from David Soul, Georgina Rylance and Ralph Brown. Perhaps best of all was the assured direction and editing, which give a real professional feeling to the film, making it punch far above its weight. The script integrates film noir and horror surprisingly well.

I liked the production and costume design, the clever way it looks Victorian whilst being set in the modern day. I liked the colours and the camera, and I liked the cast. I also liked that it took itself seriously and the makers clearly went out to make a good film rather than a commercial one. In fact, its only nod to commercialism seems to be the casting of Hutch as the self help guru (he's fine, but this really could've been anyone).I didn't like the snail like pace and numerous references to ultimately irrelevant historical characters that are clearly a bit of an obsession for the writer. The identity of the burned man is rather more obvious than I'm sure it was intended to be and the Aleister Crowley bit is laughable.It deserves credit for being brave & really lovely to look at, but it's very,very slow with no ultimate reward for your patience.

I drove all the way from Birmingham to enjoy the Frightfest Festival over the bank holiday weekend, and I have to say I was disappointed with some of the films, there was a degree of childishness to them, but I was relieved to to see Puritan, as it was a real treat.I had planned not to watch it, as was starving, but then i thought I had to get my money's worth for the weekend pass I had gotten.So i sat down and watched the director introduce the film, and was really hypnotised by the lyrical beauty of this film.Its is quite poetic, intelligent and atmospheric to the hilt. I loved the very calm acting styles of all concerned, and the glorious visuals that encompassed this film.The similarities to Alan Moore stories I spotted immediately but that was a good thing, as its not really a Moore type plot, in that it was a thriller at heart, and not really supernatural, although there is that element to it. I just have to say i really liked this movie.Nick Moran held my attention as the fallen down hero who has to pick himself up again and start afresh, he has to purify himself, and the way in which that is achieved is incredibly shrewd and cunning.A Top Film!

Very Cool Flick! Saw this little beauty with my pals at the Frightfest festival in London. And I have to say to all my fellow film freaks and freakettes, this is a class act all the way.The film just for starters looks just goddamned gorgeous, you could take any frame of it and hang it in a gallery, i just loved the use of colours, red, red and oh yeah...red. Just beautifully atmospheric and stunning.Moran holds the film together on his broad acting shoulders, I have wondered what happened to this dude over the years since the whole lock stock scenario, but he has come back with a really strong movie. Ms Georgina Rylance is a major hottie and a great actress to boot, but its the HUTCH man himself who steals the show, with a rip roaring performance as the evil Eric Bridges. This dude is totally underused, someone please cast him in something else.The director is assured and his framing is solid, composed and powerful, he would fit right in to making commercials, cut from the same cloth as Ridley Scott, Alan Parker et al: but his film has a lot more depth than those 2 guys, am I exaggerating? No. I think this young gent is one to watch.Go and watch it, but make sure you are concentrating as it needs your full attention, a real high class film noir!