One Paragraph Movie Review: Four Lions

One hundred and fifty-ninth film: Four Lions. Oh God/Allah, I love this film about four blokes planning a terrorist attack. The first twenty minutes or so are deeply uncomfortable as you adjust to the gentle but open ridicule of violent Islamic extremism, then you realise that it’s blind dogma in general that’s being ridiculed, then the main characters prepare to run a marathon, aaaaaand then you’re uncomfortable again. Incredibly acted, this thing swings so quickly from farcical to tragic on a shock-soaked slapstick string that it’s impossible not to just stare at the screen for a full five minutes after it’s finished while your brain resets itself. There are massive surprises, genuine proper laughs, and a terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach that doesn’t sit still the entire time. It’s utterly remarkable, and Benedict Cumberbatch has a two minute part in it, thirty seconds of which he spends saying “arse”. Phenomenal. Five earless clucking rabbits out of five.