Although this black comedy thriller is based on Abel Ferrara’s twisted 1992 cult movie of the same name, it’s not a direct remake.

Directed by Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), it stars a maniacal Nicolas Cage as Terence McDonagh – a corrupt New Orleans cop on the make after Hurricane Katrina (the original film was set in New York).

He’s a despicable cocaine, painkiller and gambling addict who abuses his badge to blag drugs and fuck with people, and the shit hits the fan when one of the clients of his prostitute girlfriend (Eva Mendes) wants his head on a stick, and a family is murdered on his turf during a narcotics-related incident.

Not only is the plot different to Ferrara’s, it’s superior. As with all of Herzog’s work, weirdness abounds. The visuals are surreal to illustrate the extent of McDonagh’s addiction-fuelled nuttiness: imaginary iguanas scuttle about during a stakeout and the soul of a criminal who’s been shot break-dances into the afterlife.

Herzog is a non-conformist director and his refusal to adhere to simplistic Hollywood notions of morality and redemption is evident in this leftfield film. It’s a stance that gives even his craziest visions a searing honesty and results in one of the grittiest, over-the-top films of the year.