The feature debut by renowned photographer Anton Corbijn took a look at the life of Joy Division singer Ian Curtis and starred Sam Riley in a stunning breakout performance as a young man torn apart by depression, epilepsy and agonising personal conflicts.

Arguably the best music biopic is one that steadfastly refuses to romanticise either the struggle or the outcome. Anton Corbijn’s portrait of Ian Curtis, shows him at his day job, in his suburban home, and being an uncommitted father and husband. And while the music remains important, this portrait of Joy Division’s tortured lead singer ultimately focuses in large part on the strained relationship between Curtis and his wife, Deborah (upon whose book the film is based).

Managing to balance austere black and white imagery, a dose of deadpan Mancunian wit and the angular modernism of Joy Division's sound, Control is a raw, electric and deeply emotional experience. One that not only managed to sidestep many of the contrivances of the music biopic, but at the same time delivered a unique portrait of the early 80s and a powerful and heartfelt eulogy to one of the British post-punk scene’s most enigmatic figures.

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