Director: Stephen Gaghan (2017) BBFC cert: 15

Hollywood golden boy Matthew McConaughey was clearly mining for an Oscar when he signed up for this knockabout adventure about a gold prospector.

Dressing down his leading man looks helped him nab a statuette in 2014 for Dallas Buyers Club, but the trick isn’t going to work this time.

As badly dressed Kenny Wells, he sports bad teeth, a balding pate, and a very proud paunch.

Kenny teams up with Michael, an enigmatic geologist, played by the dashing Edgar Ramirez.

Risking bankruptcy, malaria and a serious bromance to look for gold in Borneo, the pair strike it rich but back home they discover no one can be trusted.

Sadly the film can’t decide if it wants to be a jolly heist caper, an indictment of Wall Street greed or a celebration of the American pioneering spirit.

Gold has failed to find an audience in the US, so its prospects for turning a profit are low.

★★★☆☆

@ChrisHunneysett