Marty is a screenwriter who has writer’s block.  All his blank page has so far is a title ‘7 Psychopaths’ and nothing else.  Quite where he dragged this up is never really explained and as he pours himself his umpteenth drink he also pours out his woes to his best friend petty criminal/would-be actor and total psychopath Billy. And now I am wondering if maybe this is exactly how playwright turned filmmaker Martin McDonagh came to conceive this odd-ball goofy crime comedy i.e. in a pub with his mates over a few drinks. It is after all a movie within a movie, and frankly not a lot of it makes a great deal of sense anyway (and what does after a few drinks anyway?).

Some of the action is real and some just a figment of Marty’s imagination …. which is occasionally elaborated by either Billy or Hans as they chip in with their spin on things.  The madcap plot is in fact not that relevant as it is often seems like an old B movie, but the actual weird group of psychos and their interaction with each other that makes this film such a jolly good wheeze.  

Christopher Walken is a deadpan Hans and although I have always thought there is a valid reason why he is so often typecast as a madman (!) he actually adds some wonderful understated humor to his performance.  Marty is Colin Farrell (who looks like he really has been working out in between roles ….wow!), pet-obsessed Charlie is played by the delightful Woody Harrelson, but for my money the movie belongs to Sam Rockwell who makes the irrepressible Billy totally lovable even though he is clearly mad as a hatter. (There is definitely more than a hint of bromance between Billy and Marty.) Look out too for the supporting casts as it is littered with some wonderful  talent that includes Tom Waits, Harry Dean Stanton, Michael Pitt, Abbie Cornish, Gabourey Sidibe and Michael Stuhlberg.

★★★★★★★★