Puritan review

Hardboiled fake medium Simon Puritan (Nick Moran) lives in a gothic East London building where he plies his trade conning bereaved customers. When a mysterious burns-victim turns up with background info to ensure a reading for his wife is as convincing as possible, Puritan suddenly finds himself embarking on a dark journey of adultery, murder and the paranormal...

Hadi Hajaig wears writer, director, producer and editor hats to create an atmospheric thriller which is handsomely shot, beautifully lit and makes the most of a modest budget. Sadly, the gloss doesn’t extend to a script loaded with clichés, a cop-out ending and Moran’s flat performance. Puritan showcases Hajaig’s obvious potential and succeeds as a stylish exercise in adhering to noir rules, but it fails in being either genuinely compelling or original.