Sexy Beast (18, 88 minutes)

DEBUT director Jonathan Glazer snatches the gangland thriller crown from Guy Ritchie in the time it takes a boulder to rock and roll its way down the hillside into the Costa Del Crime swimming pool of retired crook Gary 'Gal' Dove, bouncing over his head on the way to embedding itself in the heart-shaped design.

It is a shattering moment for Gal (Ray Winstone) and Brit flicks alike.

Glazer, the latest graduate from the pop art world of commercials, instantly confirms that the visual panache of his Guinness adverts was no flash in the pan, and goes on to pull off a macabre, mordant and creepily comic thriller with deadly assurance.

To the accompaniment of The Stranglers' rude beach anthem, Peaches, ex-bank robber Gal is roasting his lardy tummy in the Costa Del Sol sun - the 'Sexy Beast' of the title cooking like a goose - when the boulder forewarns that something wicked this way comes to disturb the hacienda contentment of Dove and his ex-Porn star wife (Amanda Redman).

'Wickedness' takes the neurotic weasel form of Ben Kingsley's bald-headed Don Logan, sent by a gangland overlord (Ian McShane) to recruit Gal for one last bank heist.

This latterday Iago, a monster with an arsenal of foul mouthed tactics, cajoles, gets heavy and finally blackmails the reluctant Dove back to London.

These scenes are claustrophic and scary, throbbing with the tension of toothache, as Winstone turns from golden crisp to deathly white in the terrier-like presence of the relentless Kingsley.

If Sexy Beast turned more conventional for the climactic London scene - McShane in particular is clichd - nevertheless Jonathan Glazer announces an exciting and sexy talent to scare, amuse and thrill in this psychological horror show.