Wheatley’s ascent as one of the UK’s most dazzling and prolific cinematic talents continues with this ballsy, high-octane action thriller filmed hot-on-the-heels of last year’s High-Rise.

It's 1978, Boston. Sharp-witted Justine (Brie Larson) has brokered a gun deal in an abandoned warehouse between a delegation of IRA men including Chris (Cillian Murphy) and Frank (Michael Smiley), plus South African gun-runner Vernon (Sharlto Copley), cool-as-a-cucumber Ord (Armie Hammer) and their assortment of seamy associates.

Despite a level of tension that’s thicker than the accents, everything seems to be going smoothly. That is until the whole deal derails when stoner side-kick Stevo (Sam Riley) recognises one of the two handover guys, shots are fired, and pandemonium ensues, escalating into a manic 12-way shoot-out where everyone left alive is either trying to escape with a bag of money, or making sure that nobody else does.

The crackling script (by Wheatley and regular co-writer Amy Jump) and knockout cast have as much fun with character and dialogue as we do with the fact that there are no mobile phones to save the day. Wheatley fan and supporter Martin Scorsese is one of the executive producers and the film’s intermittent, pulsating score is by Geoff Barrow (Portishead) and Ben Salisbury.