Hanna

Eschewing the expectation that he perhaps stick to cranking out hand-wringing dramas of uptight manners, Atonement and Pride & Prejudice director Joe Wright veers in a surprising new direction with the revenge thriller Hanna, which courses with an unflagging, forward-leaning vigor. The engaging results, which feel like a bold, purposeful step toward modernity on his part, show Wright has a good instinct for melding the dynamics of a more conventional piece of pop action entertainment with something a bit offbeat and barbed. For the full, original review, from Screen International, click here. (Focus, PG-13, 111 minutes)