Killers, The

Aroview: Transposed into the garish 60s, Ernest Hemingway's famous story is transformed into a harder, more callous exercise in casual violence and sexual tension than the 1946 original.

Two hitmen puzzle over the seeming passivity of one of their victims, and extort from witnesses the sordid tale of a self-destructive race-driver, a lucrative heist and vicious double-cross. Originally filmed as a feature-length TV-movie, this boasts an excellent cast - Marvin, Gulager, Dickinson, Reagan and Cassavettes are all edgily compelling.