A few actors have done sociopath really well over the last two decades or so; Matt Damon in The Talented Mr Ripley, Kevin Spacey in Se7en, even Christian Slater in Heathers. Along came Casey Affleck in Michael Winterbottoms adaptation of Jim Thompsons brutal novel, to blow them all out of the water. A deputy sheriff prone to the odd bit of corruption and fits of maniacal violence against women - some of the harshest depictions youll see on screen, no less - Affleck makes it all chillingly believable. Essentially the human equivalent of a great white shark in this film, Affleck has perfectly still eyes which might as well be pitch black, and a slow, calm nature that betrays the hum of simmering violence underneath.