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The only person Carter truly appears to care for is Doreen, who’s only 16. But at one point his relationship with her is called into question, tainting even the one shred of humanity Carter seems to have. You want to root for a man who is out to get even for the death of a loved one, and you do. But watching someone tear down everything in their path to avenge a relationship they never seem to have cultivated is a curious thing. It’s like watching a prairie dog risk its life to cross a busy road, not knowing there’s nothing on the other side but more prairie dogs. If Carter ever does get what he wants, it’s hard to see him doing anything but going back to the same brooding thug he was before - only with one more notch on his belt.

Mike Hodges (who may be more famous for directing Flash Gordon a few years later) put together an incredibly engrossing project in a short period of time, and in a few spots it shows. Several scenes feel like they went with a bad take, or couldn’t get the sound quite right, and if you take the time to look it up, you will discover that’s exactly what happened. But the film’s intimate look and conspiratorial edge are intentional - many conversations are shot over someone’s shoulder or in a way that make you feel like a fly on a wall. It feels immersive and dirty, like you’re an accessory to everything that’s happening.

Caine’s performance is somewhat muted, and it takes a little while to understand what he’s doing. Carter is not nearly as smart as he thinks he is. He wears a nice suit, pushes people around and has a dry rejoinder ready for most situations, but in reality he is a twisted wreck of barely restrained fury. Carter would prefer to beat answers out of everyone he encounters, but is reluctantly forced to conclude that the investigative arts require significantly more finesse. The film’s seemingly convoluted plot isn’t as complex as it first appears; it turns out the answers were there almost right from the first frame. But Carter hurtles through the movie like a frustrated child learning to tie his shoes, and unable to control his worst impulses.

There’s really no one to cheer for in Get Carter, other than the film itself. It’s hard to pull yourself out of quicksand, and Newcastle makes no distinctions as to who gets sucked in and who doesn’t. Everyone in this motley cast of characters is cut from the same cloth, and if you find yourself having trouble distinguishing Carter’s actions from everyone else’s that’s by design. The question isn’t whether or not justice will be served, because there really isn’t any to go around. The question is whether anyone will be left standing when it’s over. The film’s ending pulls no punches, and if it doesn’t leave you thinking long and hard about the relative value of psychotic vengeance, then you should probably move to Newcastle.

Let’s all take a moment and be glad Michael Caine went into acting instead of sticking to his roots - for his sake, and ours.

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