Shallow Grave

Director Danny Boyle's 1994 debut is a dark thriller about three Glasgow friends—Alex (Ewan McGregor), a journalist; Juliet (Kerry Fox), a physician; and David (Christopher Eccleston), an accountant—whose newest roommate, the mysterious Hugo (Keith Allen), dies of a drug overdose immediately after moving in, leaving behind a bag full of cash. So the trio dispose of the body (in a gruesome scene of gallows humor) and hide the money to split up later, which of course only leads to suspicion, paranoia, and a few more corpses as thugs come sniffing around and the police drop by with uncomfortable questions. Shallow Grave was made at a time when intimate neo-noir spine-chillers were in vogue, and Boyle directs with style and a nasty dark humor. But the characters are unlikable and undeveloped and the film ultimately lacks the cleverness and irony of movies like Blood Simple and The Last Seduction. Still, this is interesting for showcasing early performances by McGregor and Eccleston and for watching the direction of Boyle before Trainspotting made him a huge success. Originally released on DVD over a decade ago, Criterion has remastered the film for a new DVD and Blu-ray debut, with extras including two audio commentaries, a 1993 “making-of” featurette, new video interviews, an archival video diary, and a booklet. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)