Nicholas Hoult says fans will either love or hate his anti-hero in Kill Your Friends

Nicholas Hoult says some people “don’t get” the murderous exploits in his new film set at the height of Nineties Britpop.

The X-Men star plays a ruthless A&R man in Kill Your Friends — based on John Niven’s 2008 bestselling novel of the same name. Hoult said the sex and violence in the dark Cool Britannia satire won’t be to everyone’s taste.

Speaking to the Standard while promoting the film in Toronto, he said: “What was special about the book is that it taps into the twisted, darker side of human nature. It’s unrelenting and unapologetic and we had to do the same with the film.

“Some people don’t get it and it’s also very difficult because the character doesn’t have very many redeemable qualities so he’s difficult to root for! It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but the people who do like it will love and enjoy it.”

Hoult, 25, who rose to fame in 2002 playing a 12-year-old opposite Hugh Grant in Nick Hornby’s About A Boy, said he relished the role of outrageous music business upstart Steven Stelfox. He said: “He’s honest in a way with all his observations and the things that he says are not very politically correct or right or that I agree with. But he’s always very straightforward.”

Kill Your Friends also stars James Corden, Tom Riley and Rosanna Arquette. The soundtrack features Oasis, Blur, The Chemical Brothers and Radiohead and Hoult said: “It was a phenomenal music scene — it was such a boom time.”