Ben Wheatley

Ben Wheatley

Ben Wheatley is one of the most exciting British filmmakers around at the moment and he is back in the director's chair this week.

A Field In England is his new project and it comes hot off the heels of Sightseers; which was one of the best British movies of 2012.

Wheatley kicked off his directing career back in 2006 in television with Time Trumpet, before going on to Modern Toss and The Wrong Door.

After three years of TV work he made the leap into movies as he made his feature film debut with Down Terrace.

The movie was a comedy drama that followed a crime family that is trying to uncover a police informant in their group.

The movie say Robert Hill, Robin Hill and Julia Deakin on the cast list, while Robin Hill teamed up with Wheatley to pen the screenplay.

Down Terrace won the Raindance Award at the British Independent Film Awards in 2009 - Wheatley's film career was up and running.

But it was Kill List two years later that really ear-marked Wheatley as a directing talent to keep an eye on.

He stayed with the crime genre as the film followed a former soldier turned hitman who takes on a job to kill three people. But as his disturbed past begins to surface everything spirals out of control.

Neil Maskell gave a terrific central performance in the movie while MyAnna Buring and Michael Smiley were also on the cast list.

The movie was a hit with the critics and was nominated for six British Independent Film Awards; winning one for Best Supporting Actor for Smiley.

Last year Wheatley returned to the director's chair as he helmed Sightseers - a script that was written by Alice Lowe, Steve Oram and Amy Jump.

Lowe and Oram also starred in a film as a couple who go on holiday together. But things don't quite go to plan as the holiday turns into a killing spree.

The black comedy was one of the best Brit movies of the year and really did win over the critics.

The movie also picked up a string of nominations as well as winning British Independent Film Award for Best Screenplay; Empire Award for Best British Film and Peter Sellers Award for Comedy at the Evening Standard British Film Awards.

But now Wheatley is back with his new film A Field In England, which is set during the 17th century English Civil War.

Shot in black and white the movie stars Julia Barratt, Peter Ferdinando, Richard Glover and Ryan Pope.

England during the Civil War. A small group of deserters flee from a raging battle through an overgrown field. They are captured by two men: O'Neil and Cutler.

O'Neil (Michael Smiley), an alchemist, forces the group to aid him in his search to find a hidden treasure that he believes is buried in the field.

Crossing a vast mushroom circle, which provides their first meal, the group quickly descend into a chaos of arguments, fighting and paranoia, and, as it becomes clear that the treasure might be something other than gold, they slowly become victim to the terrifying energies trapped inside the field.

Ben Wheatley is an exciting director and he really is someone to keep an eye on over the next couple of years.

A Field In England is out now.


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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