Irvine Welsh

Adapted from an Irvine Welsh novel of the same name, Filth will be a frustrating watch for those familiar with the work, and a confusing watch for those without bias.

Though infused with an infectious anarchic energy, Filth confuses rudeness with rebellion. Even the gleeful excesses can’t save the film’s muddled script as it loses its narrative steam and plummets into melodrama. The wickedness feels less like provocation and more like a diversion to hide the wafer-thin story. In other words, Filth is all talk and no shock.