Gangster No 1 is McGuigan's first full-length feature and focuses on the intense relationship between Gangster (Malcolm McDowell, with Paul Bettany as his younger self) and his gang boss Freddie Mays (David Thewlis).

Although the story covers 30 years, most of the action is set in 1968, when Gangster first meets Freddie. At this time Freddie is top dog and Gangster is the new boy on the scene. Hearing that Gangster can handle himself, Freddie puts him on the payroll. At first Gangster is full of admiration for his boss, and will quite happily kill and torture for him. Freddie then makes Gangster his right hand man and as a team they're unstoppable. But then Freddie meets a girl in a nightclub, he devotes more and more attention to her and Gangster feels increasingly shut out. Then Gangster uncovers a plot by a rival gang to kill Freddie Mays and all hell breaks loose...

Out now

- Jasmine Radford