Lance Day's second movie after his promising debut Last Days of Dublin, The Halo Effect sees Stephen Rea playing Fatso, owner of one of the worst takeaways in the capital. Although Fatso's heart is in the right place, his addiction to gambling means that keeping his head above water is a daily struggle. Quite aside from addressing the problem of his rapidly spiralling debts, Fatso doesn't endear himself to loan sharks (McSorley, Higgins, Kavanagh) with his natural tendency to help every hapless loser that crosses his path, including his staff members (Delaney, Condon and Smith).
Like so many homegrown films, The Halo Effect, though likeable, promises much more than it delivers. Having worked in the industry to finance his first movie, Lance Daly reportedly felt it would make the perfect backdrop for a movie. Failing to adequately capture the unspoken air of violence that often surrounds late night fast food joints, The Halo Effect's premise is stretched far too thin to convince. As you might expect, Rea is the stand out performer, doing the most he can with a terribly under developed part. It's a shame as there's a fine idea here, but The Halo Effect never quite convinces.