In a leafy London street, Kate and Justin (Poesy and Moore) are expecting their first child as new neighbours move into the flat below them. And it turns out that Teresa and Jon (Birn and Morrissey) are also expecting a baby. So these strangers decide to make the best of living nearby and get to know each other. But their friendship consistently reveals tiny fissures, which become chasms when something nasty happens between them. The question is whether they can put their differences aside and get along, or perhaps more deliberate action is required.

Farr directs this with an assured hand, dropping insinuations into almost every shot while undercutting scenes with a cheerfully plinking score that's absolutely chilling. In other words, from the very start, even before anything nefarious happens, it's clear that there's something darkly nasty afoot. And the film is cleverly constructed to draw the audience in, building sympathy for the characters, dropping hints and then merrily throwing us off the scent.

The cast gets the tone exactly right. Poesy anchors the film as a young woman with some unspoken family history that surely means something ominous. Is she losing her mind here, or are the neighbours really up to something? Her despair is vivid, as is her lively sense of humour. Poesy's scenes with the sunny Birn are utterly riveting, mainly because the tension between the characters are so palpable. And Morrissey cleverly adds to the sense of menace with every tiny movement he makes. Moore is solid in a less pivotal role.

The film's visual style is just as inviting as the characters, especially the golden-orange hue that washes through Teresa and Jon's surreally designed home and clothing. Farr has a great time manipulating the audience's expectations by subverting the actions and reactions of the characters at every step. This is a strikingly sure-handed directing debut that marks Farr as a filmmaker to watch, especially as he continues to play with the very idea of storytelling.

themes, language

29.Sep.15