Tragedy lurks over the crest of every wave as a Scottish trawler crew hopes for one last catch before heading home, despite stormy seas and a cargo-hold full of Chinese immigrants.
It’s not greed but desperation that forces both sides to break the law - livelihoods, as well as lives, are at stake.
As you might expect from a cast crammed with Ken Loach veterans, this is a powerfully acted, angrily topical but essentially human film. Martin Compston is most impressive: five years after Sweet Sixteen he comes of age with his most devastating performance yet.
As the claustrophobic mood takes its toll, the film becomes a tense thriller shot through with an important social message.