The Nine Lives Of Tomas Katz review

That the credits include a dedication to "the bollards and windows of London" gives some indication of the boundless eccentricity of this apocalyptic black comedy from British writer-director Ben Hopkins (Simon Magus).

Tomas Katz (Thomas Fisher) materialises at the edge of the M25 on the day of a solar eclipse. Mysterious powers enable this arcanely-dressed stranger to adopt the identities of those he encounters and, in their different guises, he wreaks havoc on a fast-disappearing metropolis.

Photographed in gleaming black and white, this heavily-improvised effort draws on an array of references and influences - Monty Python, German expressionism, The Day Today, MTV and Derek Jarman. There's a fertile imagination at play here, but erratic pacing, flimsy structure and woolly ideas lead The Nine Lives Of Tomas Katz into a frustrating cul-de-sac of surreal vignettes.