Brimstone & Treacle (1982)

Many stars of the music world have tried acting; just recently Ariana Grande was in “Wicked.” Some of these were great at it, like David Bowie, who was very versatile in his choices; some others mostly just did a variation of their own persona and were successful at it (Joan Jett’s “Light of Day”); and there were some others who failed. Sting is an interesting case; he has a decent career, with some highly acclaimed movies and even auteurs in his resume, but his performances were usually not the standout.

One of those major exceptions happens to be the adaptation of Dennis Potter’s controversial play “Brimstone & Treacle”, which uses Sting’s devilish charm really well. This is the film David Lynch saw and decided to cast him in “Dune”. While he’s very good in things like “Stormy Monday,” it’s unfortunate he didn’t get to show more of his “wild side” in his films. Here he plays a charming but enigmatic drifter who ingratiates himself into the home of a grieving middle-aged couple in the suburban England. That couple is Tom and Norma Bates (Denholm Elliott and Joan Plowright), whose lives have been upended by a tragic accident that left their daughter, Pattie, in a near-vegetative state. Martin appears to be nice at first, but soon more sinister things are going to happen that will make you ask: Is he the Devil himself?

Elliott and Plowright, two of the finest Brit actors, are very strong, and Suzanna Hamilton who has a silent role, is also haunting. Most recently, the Danish horror-thriller hit “Speak No Evil” was about the dangers of ignoring red flags. This movie has a similar message and is also critical of blind faith. It’s those who like horror elements strong in their thrillers or are looking for something with a psychological tension that also has a moral edge.