Film review: London Road (15, 92 mins)

The ground-breaking stage work, which premiered in April 2011, documents the real-life discovery of the bodies of five women in Suffolk in 2006 in the words of residents of London Road.

“This is what they said. Exactly as they said it,” confirms the film’s sombre opening credits.

A media scrum including journalist Simon Newton (Michael Schaeffer) descends upon Ipswich, where locals are gripped by fear after the murders of five women, who all worked as prostitutes in the area.

The residents of London Road including bubbly mother Julie (Olivia Colman) and enigmatic neighbour Dodge (Paul Thornley) are obvious targets for TV crews because prostitutes continue to tout for business outside their homes.

A creepy taxi driver called Mark (Tom Hardy) is one possible suspect, telling a passenger that he has a fascination with serial killers, but that doesn’t mean he is one.

When London Road resident Steve Wright is arrested by Suffolk police, battle lines are drawn between locals, invasive media and the working girls.

But by expanding London Road from the claustrophobic confines of the stage, Norris’ film loses some of the electrifying tension of the original.

Musical/Drama.

Star rating: 6/10