Nick Cave's talent for songwriting had never been disputed. In fact, many would consider the Australian amongst our generation's most talented songsmiths and so it came as no surprise that his screenwriting debut, 2007's The Proposition, was heralded as a sharp, sprawling epic.

Nick CaveNick Cave and Kylie Minogue in '20,000 Days on Earth'

Cave's new movie, 20,000 Days on Earth, has been in development for some time. The musician co-wrote and stars in the film, about a fictional 24 hours in the life of the Bad Seeds man. It premiered in-competition in the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival in January, winning two awards. And now, on the eve of its bow in the cinemas, critics agree that 20,000 Days on Earth is one of the most intriguing movies of the year.

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"We spend one day on Earth with Nick Cave, from dawn til dusk, via family, friends, a recording session and a gig, but it's just a neat device, and much of the film plays out like drama," said Dave Calhoun of Time Out.

"Shot in atmospheric, grainy 'Scope by Erik Wilson, this elegant study looks less like a documentary than like a highly staged thriller, a piece of brooding provincial noir," said Jonathan Romney of Film Comment Magazine.

Watch the trailer for '20,000 Days on Earth':

"This fiercely beautiful amalgam will sweep you up in its masterful, thrillingly macabre embrace before sending you swooning out of the cinema. It's like waltzing with Count Dracula," wrote Emma Simmonds of The List.

"This won't be for everyone, but longtime Cave-men (and women) will be bewitched, along with a fair share of folks drawn in simply by the film's unique investigation into the mind of an artist," said David Rooney of the Hollywood Reporter.

UK audiences may already be familiar with 20,000 Days on Earth given it features an appearance from Kylie Minogue, whom Cave has worked with before.

More: check out our Nick Cave pictures

Speaking to NME about working with the musician, Kylie explained: "It ran parallel to my other experiences with him: they take me out of my comfort zone, but also somehow into another comfort zone. I feel safe but challenged, inspired and liberated."

"He could do 10 of these movies and we'd still have a million questions left. That's what makes an enigma and a superstar and someone that will constantly have your interest. He's constantly on an exploratory mission of who he is and how he becomes his art, or how his art comes through him. What a mind. If we could just get into his mind! He's in his own realm."

To celebrate the release of the movie, Cave will perform a one-off show at London's Barbican on September 17. The singer will team up with Warren Ellis and Barry Adamson, while the film's directors Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard will be on hand to take part in a Q&A session. The show will also be broadcast live across 150 cinemas in the UK.

More: check out our Kylie Minogue