5lbs of Pressure – drugs, murder and a likable Rory Culkin

Dressed like an extra from The Crow, the actor plays a tragicomic supporting character in this drama that feels like a TV pilot show

Set in New York City and filmed in Manchester, England, here is a film that aims to play like a feature-length episode of The Wire or The Sopranos. Naturally, that is not an easy target to hit, and the result, while decent enough, falls somewhat short but is still watchable.

Luke Evans plays Adam, a nice guy who made a terrible mistake in his youth: shooting another young man and going to prison for 16 years. His partner, Donna (Stephanie Leonidas), has brought up their son Jimmy to believe his dad simply skipped town and abandoned them, so she’s none too chuffed to find Adam back in the neighbourhood and desperate to reconnect with a now-teenaged Jimmy (Rudy Pankow).