A soldier returning from the war in Afghanistan uncovers a conspiracy involving the intelligence services and a gang of drug dealers.
A powerful, punchy slice urban thriller that shows off Kebbell at his most compelling.
It fairly rattles along, Kebbell has undeniable star quality, and there’s Brian Cox as a shady government operative to boot.
Clichéd, incoherent and queasily Daily Mail-pleasing, its conspiracy theorising third act is a disaster.
A guns-blazing showdown at the end jolts you back to attention, but the fumbled ironies of the plot leave a dour and portentous aftertaste.
It appears to have things to say about ex-servicemen, gun control and terrorism, but muddies any message with a preposterous cake-and-eat-it finale where the estate is turned into a war zone.
Sadly, Matthew Hope's film loses it badly in the last 15 minutes as the veteran's (and the film's) purposeful calm descends into a Taxi Driver-style bloodbath.
Kebble is engaging enough, and director Matthew Hope's more elaborate flights of action fantasy prevent The Veteran becoming another self-righteous state of the nation address – even if the resolution is a bit corny.
A state-of-the-nation conspiracy thriller split three ways, The Veteran overstretches itself by fighting on too many fronts at once.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
RSS feed of Cinema reviews