An initially archetypal trajectory (boy loses girl; boy goes on mission to get her back) becomes something curlier and less conventional, with lashings of abrasive dialogue that recall its stage origins

As a writer and actor, Cowell is obviously talented if erratic; as a filmmaker he has a long way to go.

It's all a bit low stakes,

Cowell makes his feature film dbut as writer/director/producer, bringing it to the screen with Patrick Brammall in terrific, tormented form as our titular 'hero'.