Rendered desperately shy by a heart-shaped birthmark covering the left side of his face, a budding photographer wishes to escape the cruel and superficial world around him in this dark and imaginative fable from writer/director Philip Ridley. The question of just how far Jamie (Jim Sturgess) is prepared to go to change his life becomes the crux of this emotionally engaging yet disturbingly eerie slice of urban fantasy, in which hooded demons stalk the streets of Bethnal Green, a nearby tower block is home to Joseph Mawle's scarred Mephistophelean overlord and Eddie Marsan contributes an unforgettable cameo as the sinister Weapons Man. For the most part Ridley keeps the bizarre events under a tight rein, with Sturgess turning in a compelling central performance as the vulnerable protagonist caught up in increasingly horrifying events. Only in the dismayingly rushed finale does the storytelling stumble somewhat, but the film's flaws are easily forgiven since its searing visuals conjure up an intoxicating landscape unlike anything else seen in British cinema.

The story follows Jamie, a troubled young man with a birthmark on his face, which has left him feeling isolated and fearful, hiding from the world outside. He lives in the East End of London, an area notorious for its violent hooded gangs. According to news reports, the gangs are now wearing demon masks. But, one night, Jamie discovers the terrifying truth.