13 Intense Movie Performances That Are Incredibly Difficult To Watch

4. Paddy Considine - Dead Man's Shoes

Watching Shane Meadows' brilliant film first time around, without the knowledge of the utterly affecting twist Considine's bad-ass performance is completely disarming: he is visceral, unhinged and terrifying and even without context, you want him to achieve his agenda to wipe out the men on his list.

But then, when the narrative reveals its completely heart-breaking secret, the true horror of his seemingly unhinged actions changes the make-up of the entire film. A group of supremely unlikable, and needlessly cruel hoods become something else entirely, and the unquantifiable anger behind Considine's eyes is given appalling context and take the shape instead of unknowable grief.

Richard is the embodiment of pain, focused on a singular agenda of revenge, but haunted by the impotence he feels in not being able to protect his brother, as well as by his actual ghost, and his final moments are testament to the intensity of what has driven him through the rest of his story.