The real-life crimes of the Yorkshire Ripper figure heavily in this engrossing police procedural, the second installment in the neo-noir "Red Riding" trilogy (2009). After the commander in charge of the Ripper case commits a public-relations gaffe, the powers that be replace him with an upright cop from Manchester (Paddy Considine), who's ordered to refocus the stalled investigation—and to get a handle on the rampant corruption endemic to the West Yorkshire force. Like the hero of
Red Riding: 1974, he's a good man but no match for the evil bastards aligned against him, and as in the first movie, sexual desire is the key to his downfall. James Marsh (
Man on Wire) directed a script by Tony Grisoni; with Maxine Peake, David Morrissey, and Peter Mullan. 98 min.
By
J.R. Jones