From the opening shots of the expanse of Andalusian desert, spiritual home of the great spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone, Luke Shelley has created a lush, atmospheric gem. With the haunting music, the iconic Western outpost locations (astonishingly, filmed in a fully habitable old west town—in the middle of a pasture in Kent!), and the simmering cast, Shelley has nailed the details of the classic western, and taken them beyond mere homage. Nigel Barber as the shattered sheriff, Elijah Conway, questioning his ability to save those he loves, and Pippa Winslow (Madame Rouge) as the madam of a saloon on the hair-trigger verge of explosive violence, are superb, bringing soul and conflict and heartbreak to fully formed characters in a scant 20 minutes that leaves the viewer emotionally sated. The supporting cast is terrific, with an embittered band of scoundrels lead by Max Cavenham (Buck Ford), with Perry Brooks Jr (Roger 'Blondie' Wilson), Karen Brace (Susie 'Gums' Lewis), and Garth Twa (Douglas Lewis), who dive into their roles with infectious relish. The cinematography by Arran Green is stunning, Throughout his short and promising career, Shelley has tackled multiple genres with a maturity, understanding, and nuance that is beyond his years. With excellent scripts by Craig Busek and Michael Kennedy, he has created a repertory troupe of top-notch practitioners. In 'Inquest of Desire', he created what seemed an impossible feat— making a taut and satisfying film noir short. This was a gift to Nigel Barber, who played the detective with secrets of his own. In 'Dropkick', he and his team made a Cold War thriller set in an underground bunker that was electrifying, and again, as satisfying a thriller as anything that was feature length. This was his gift to Pippa Winslow, who played the First Lady of the United States. Here, in 'Fear the Unknown Men', Max Cavenham gets his gift role—the unhinged, psychotic leader of the ruthless gang. Shelley has done his apprenticeship and he shown that he is capable of mastering the best of Hollywood, and he has found an invaluable collaborator with his producer, Sophie Stacey, who has brought Shelley to a new level. When is his feature debut?
