25 Best British Films Of The Last Decade

By Jack Pooley /

22. Tyrannosaur

Tyrannosaur is not an easy film to watch. Paddy Considine proved his directorial chops in his searing debut feature, which begins with angry widower Joseph (Peter Mullan) kicking his own dog to death, and just gets more and more grim from there. Mullan gives an exceptional performances as a man struggling to claw himself away from the edge of oblivion, but the performance of show has to go to Peep Show's Olivia Colman, who plays Hannah, a Christian charity worker who takes him under her wing, while dealing with her own abusive husband James (Eddie Marsan). It's a deeply unpleasant story, and many may be turned off by the fact that there's not a neat bow tied off at the end or really a lot of hope. However, there is a lot of truth here, and if you can stomach the grimness, it's an unforgettable actors' showcase.