Cert 15 Stars 4

Traditional seaside entertainment is gloriously resurrected in this bawdy, boisterous and brutal medieval horror show which is not for the squeamish.

Best known as Alice in Tim Burton’s mega successful Alice in Wonderland, Australian actress Mia Wasikowska stars alongside fellow Aussie Damon Herriman as husband and wife puppeteers.

Their career has hit the skids due to his alcoholism and violence, and they’re now eking out a living in her provincial home town.

A shocking yet thoughtful and funny commentary on domestic violence, it’s a sadly contemporary tale of how powerful, famous and supposedly respectable men use their status to get away with the most horrific crimes.

Fiercely and inventively odd with a touch of Monty Python, it also shares the scabrous sensibility of Olivia Colman’s Oscar winning The Favourite which contributes hugely to this dark revenge drama.

It even cheekily sends up Russell Crowe in one of his most famous roles. Now that’s the way to do it.