Rosamund Pike will have you caring quite a bit.

Despite being nothing less that fabulous in pretty much anything she’s a part of, it’s at least a little rankling that Rosamund Pike is primarily known as the psychopath from Gone Girl. That said, as psychotic screen presences go, the character will no doubt go down as one of cinema’s finest.

Rosamund Pike certainly has the range and the filmography as good as anyone out there, yet there’s something in her utterly unnerving Gone Girl performance that suggests dangerously unhinged is a mood she can fully get behind. Quite honestly, she can play all the nicest, most sympathetic characters in the world from here on in, but murderously deranged is a character trait that will likely follow Pike around for the rest of her career.

Of course, all of this runs the risk of typecasting for an actor more than capable of playing any character she wants, however, if you’re doing it right, why stop now?

Primed with little conscience and an unnerving self-assurance, Marla Grayson (Rosamund Pike) is a con woman grifting her way into the guardianship and the wallets of dozens of elderly wards. Run with brutal efficiency, the scam is terrifyingly well-oiled, and when her latest “cherry”, Jennifer (Dianne Wiest) – a wealthy retiree with no living heirs or family – lands on her lap, it looks like she’s hit the jackpot. But as Marla’s newest mark turns out to have a secret every bit as shady as her own, she’s drawn into a brutal battle that’s neither fair, nor square.

Caring about your protagonist can get a film a long way. If you can empathise even the slightest with your core characters, it can carry a bad movie further than it has any right to. Inversely, there’s an argument to be made that a protagonist can be the most despicable person alive, but if the writing and the performances are good enough, a film can succeed regardless.

And that’s precisely where we find I Care a Lot. Aside from perhaps Dianne Wiest’s deceptively unassuming old lady, there’s not one character in the film, least of all its protagonist, that’s worthy of our affection. It’s a big swing, and one that will have you seriously questioning your own morals at times, yet it pays off handsomely.

In truth, Marla Grayson is an utterly contemptable character with so few redeeming features that rooting for her in any way is an uphill struggle from the very beginning, however, she’s so compellingly evil that you just can’t take your eyes off her. With an unerring cool and a bob so sharp it could cut glass, Marla is a malignant but terrifyingly charismatic force of nature that will boil your blood just as much as she will leave you entranced.

Wasting no time in showing us just how ruthlessly malevolent Marla is, director J Blakeson sets his stall out from the off, as we witness a string of barefaced lies spoon-fed to Isiah Whitlock Jr’s gullible judge in order to keep a helpless man from his elderly mother. It’s a barnstorming opening gambit and Blakeson plays it perfectly, crafting an engaging and frequently funny story that offers something to invest in, despite the nefariousness of the grift laid out before us.

The opening act is so ruthless in its execution that it was always going to be a challenge to keep up the pace, but to its credit, I Care a Lot holds firm for just long enough to keep us hooked. It’s only really as we hit the final act that things really start to wobble, as the head-to-head between Marla and Peter Dinklage’s increasingly desperate mob boss sends the plot all over the place.

It’s this face-off between two highly contemptible characters that will have you asking the most questions of the film, as Blakeson intentionally sends our moral compass into a spin, forcing us to decide who to root for out of a granny-scamming sociopath and a murderous gangster. How the film wraps up this battle of the bastards isn’t quite as satisfying as it could’ve been, yet the entire clash is nothing less than engrossing, even as morals and logic are thrown out the window altogether.

For all its moral ambiguity, once I Care a Lot has its claws in you, there’s no escape, and while your revulsion towards its characters will often have you questioning your continued viewing, Blakeson’s well-crafted script and innovative directorial approach will keep you riveted. With energy and style to burn, the directing is positively beguiling, as vibrant visuals, clever editing, and Marc Canham’s pulsating electro-infused score combine to create a thoroughly immersive experience.

It’s a swagger and a verve that tempts you into this icky, amoral world against your better judgement, and one backed up by Rosamund Pike, who’s bulldozing performance ensures the film always has a focal point and never disappears into itself. From the very second her razor-sharp bob glides onto the screen and she unblinkingly crushes a desperate man’s contact with his elderly mother, you know you’re in for something quite extraordinary. 

As incredible as it is despicable, Pike’s performance essentially picks up where her Gone Girl character left off, slipping from one sociopath to another without missing a beat. Backed up by a superb ensemble that includes Peter Dinklage, Eiza González, and the inimitable Dianne Wiest (although not nearly enough of her), Pike bludgeons her way through the film, with her character at no point sympathetic but at no point willing to give a shit about it – an attitude that takes some getting used to, yet will eventually have you hooked.

Holding the screen with a terrifying confidence and an icy determination, Pike makes the film utterly her own, showcasing once again what a talent she is and reinforcing just how good she is at portraying truly disturbing characters. You may not root for her, and at times you’ll find yourself praying for her demise, yet, like the grifter she is, she’ll have you wrapped around her finger until the bitter end.

While it may sound counterproductive, despising every single character shouldn’t necessarily hinder your engagement in a film, so long as the constituent parts are strong enough to pull it through - and this is precisely where we find I Care a Lot. Through J Blakeson’s engaging script and inspired direction, together with a Rosamund Pike performance that’s equal parts evil and enthralling, the film overcomes its moral ambiguities and the odd narrative wobble to ensure we care a whole lot more than we probably should.

I Care a Lot is available to stream on Amazon Prime (Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, UK) / Netflix (US, Latin America, France, Germany, South Africa, India, Indonesia, Malaysia) now.