The back and forth between Amanda and Lily is superbly scripted by Finley, recalling the clever penmanship of Ira Levin's Deathtrap, while he directs with real precision. And Cooke and Taylor-Joy remain endlessly watchable as they serve up the deliciously devious dialogue.
Two stunning lead performances power this macabre study of entitlement and boredom.
Thoroughbreds is a very macabre comedy. It could easily have seemed grotesque, silly and self-indulgent. Instead, thanks to the perfectly judged performances of its two young female leads and writer-director Finley's gift for acerbic irony, it is both unsettling and frequently very funny.
It is initially gripping, with agreeably chilly Hitchcockian echoes, although the plot is a little less satisfying when it comes to the way the horrible murder plan itself appears to go wrong. Cooke and Taylor-Joy are convincing in their ruthlessness: Stepford sisters in the cause of self-gratification.
Dripping with malice and deadpan wit, Thoroughbreds is overly mannered but often devilishly entertaining.
Dark fun, with performances to savour and a set of references too seldom made in today’s pictures, this is a treat. It may peter out at the end, but what a calling card for Cory Finley, and this could be the last outing for its leads before superstardom beckons.
Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke on playing nasty in Thoroughbreds
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Tuesday June 12, 2018, until Thursday June 14, 2018. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/