One of the best thriller movies of the 21st century is on TV tonight

Fans of Man on Fire will want to check out this similarly gritty crime thriller.

Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix (Joker) stars as Joe, a former military and FBI man turned mercenary living in New York. Though he suffers from severe PTSD, his speciality is rescuing trafficked girls and inflicting brutal pain upon their captors.

Joe accepts a large sum of money to discreetly track down Nina (Ekaterina Samsonov), the abducted daughter of a New York State Senator. The mission quickly goes sideways, however.

The mercenary then finds himself embroiled in a sinister conspiracy with far-reaching implications, one that causes his life to further spiral out of control.

Watch the trailer for You Were Never Really Here:

Based on a novella by Jonathan Ames (Bored to Death), You Were Never Really Here was adapted for the screen by acclaimed writer-director Lynne Ramsay (Die My Love, We Need to Talk About Kevin).

Upon premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie earned two awards at the prestigious cinema event: Best Actor for Phoenix and Best Screenplay for Ramsay. It's easy to see why.

Ramsay's gritty, stylish, immersive direction puts the viewer right inside Phoenix's vigilante's tortured psyche. This recalls filmmaker Tony Scott's work in another modern classic with a similar plot, Man on Fire.

Like Man on Fire, while You Were Never Really Here deals with grim subject matter, it's ultimately a redemption story. Joe and Nina, both similarly traumatised, help each other out of the darkness.

Only 90 minutes in length, making it feel real mean and lean, You Were Never Really Here is airing on TV tonight/tomorrow morning on Film4 at 12.40pm.

It will also be available to stream on Channel 4's website from Wednesday, 16 September.

Here are the other movies on TV tonight (Tuesday, 15 September).