Red Riding: 1974, Julian Jarrold, 2009

Jarrold's film, the first in a simultaneously released trilogy, is a sprawling and decidedly English tapestry of local corruption and intrigue, taking cues from such notable forbears of the genre as Chinatown, Zodiac, and novelist James Ellroy's L.A. quartet. The result is a striking and moody opening salvo for this ambitious project.