The Devil's Business

An SSH Films production. Created by Jennifer Handorf. Executive producers, Mirian Handorf, Sean Hogan, Jay Slater. Directed, compiled by Sean Hogan.With: Billy Clarke, Jack Gordon, Jonathan Hansler, Harry Burns.Having a tip from the hat to "Performance," the 1970 cult fave in regards to a hardboiled gangster who outings in to the fantastical, and many sidelong glances at Pinter's "The Dumb Waiter," author-director Sean Hogan sustains a teasingly suspenseful scenario throughout the majority of "The Devil's Business." A cleverly economical thriller about two Brit hitmen who've a hell of the time undertaking their latest assignment, the pic should parlay exposure at selected niche fests into limited theatrical and wide homevid release. Late one evening, like a veteran hired killer (a good Billy Clarke) and the unskilled protege (Jack Gordon) watch for their target to come back home, they uncover proof of Satan worship within the man's garage. Badly shaken, they nevertheless opt to not leave before finishing their work -- which, obviously, proves suddenly difficult. The ending is really a disappointment, only because Hogan so deftly balances mounting dread and dark humor within the buildup. Pic was shot almost entirely within the house of producer Jennifer Handorf's in-laws and regulations, and Nicola Marsh's supple lensing improves the general feeling of claustrophobic tension.Camera (color, HD), Nicola Marsh editors, Hogan, Emma Gaffney music, Justin Greaves. Examined at Fantastic Fest, Austin, Sept. 28, 2011. Running time: 73 MIN. Contact the range newsroom at news@variety.com