I have a question. When does a good British film director become a dull film director and can they save themselves there after? Take exhibit A, Ben Wheatley. He was a good film maker. Made FREE FIRE, which was an awful film. He came back with three ok films after. Saved himself. Then we have Neil Marshall. He made DOG SOLIDERS. I reviewed its very much anticipated rerelease. It was good. Then came his next, THE DESCENT. Not bad. Then came everything else. Utter tripe. Finally we have THE LAIR. Is this the expected and hoped for return to form?

Royal Air force pilot Lt. Kate Sinclair (Charlotte Kirk) is shot down over Afghanistan. She ends up in the heart of resistance country. The Mujahedeen want her alive but she has other ideas. She finds refuge in an abandoned underground bunker. A bunker that the Soviets used for something nasty it seems. They created deadly biological weapons. One of which, a half human, half alien thing is living sealed in a vat. When a bullet shatters the glass and said monster comes out, well we know that is not going to be good…

So no is the answer to the above. THE LAIR is a knock about turd that floats and refuses to flush. Its plotted like an ABC guide to screenplay writing. With plot points discarded and instead obvious action irrelevance inserted. The issue is these action scenes have no suspense so feel heavy. It is also acted like tired episode of EastEnders, lots of nods. Loads of panting. No real interest in what is happening. THE LAIR feels done to death. Done better and often by those who end up on the straight to DVD circuit. I am annoyed because, as we have seen, good directors in this country often do return to form. But so do bad directors just get away with making tripe. There is a making of documentary that sheds a bit of light on the films inception. Reading between the lines Marshall wanted to go back to a safe space and find something that worked. Sorry sir, you need to find something else…