Scottish director John Maclean (formerly of the Beta Band and a BAFTA-winner for his short Pitch Black Heist) makes his feature debut with this gloriously off-kilter western, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. It follows Jay (Kodi Smith-McPhee), an out of his element, naive young Scot who has travelled out West in search of a forbidden love. Totally unprepared, he has his neck saved by laconic bounty hunter Silas (Michael Fassbender, just brilliant), who proceeds (in exchange for a few coins, of course), to ride shotgun, protecting his young companion.

There's just one small thing: Jay is completely unaware there is a massive bounty on his love and her father's head and other vultures (including Ben Mendelsohn, sporting an enormous pimp-like fur overcoat) are picking up their scent, making their journey fraught with peril, betrayal and violence. Featuring one of the greatest shoot-outs this side of Sergio Leone, an absinthe-soaked all-nighter and an absurd, Coen-esque showdown in a general store, it's a fantastically enjoyable mix of intelligence, gallows humour and brutal violence. A special mention must go to cinematographer Robbie Ryan's breathtaking visuals of the American frontier (naturally, it's shot in New Zealand).

• The screening of Slow West on Tue 14 July is part of our Cinébites deal: Get 30% off any main dish in the Café/Bar with a valid cinema ticket.

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