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Both central performances are revelatory. Fifer gives Ben a likeable hangdog charm that gets under the skin because he's clearly in need of healing. So his interaction with Brown's charmingly relaxed Sam seems like a balm for his soul, opening both of them to possibilities. Their romance shifts authentically from warmth to comedy to darker drama. Side roles add interesting textures, from Bauleo as Ben's complex mother to broader comical scenes for Adsit (as his glib doctor) and Smulders (as his perky therapist).

This is a delicate exploration of how complicated it is to help others when you're dealing with your own issues at the same time. So there are powerful ripples when they meet each others' friends, for example. The feelings the film taps into are so realistic that it has a strong autobiographical tone. And instead of going for big cathartic moments, Fifer instead lets the characters quietly grapple with things that will clearly linger for a long time to come.

themes, language, sexuality

4.Oct.20

Ahmed bursts from the screen as the impassioned rapper, and is just as magnetic in Zed's more thoughtful moments. He's so easy to identify with that we feel each step in this journey with him, including his anger, frustration and fear. It's a beautiful, harrowingly raw performance. As his strict father, Khan creates intense moments in clashes that bring out both common ground and bitter differences. And other characters are also bracingly realistic as they drift in and out of Zed's experience, perhaps busier with their lives off-screen.

Because of the internalised approach, this movie never becomes a story about an illness. Rather, the focus is on Zed's odyssey of self-discovery when it seems that everything he has taken for granted is being taken away. There are a few scenes that feel a bit overwrought, even as the film remains somewhat superficial as far as these enormous themes are concerned. But it's still a powerfully atmospheric, emotionally resonant drama about a young man facing a momentous challenge.

themes, language, violence

2.Oct.20 lff

Both Rundle and Stokoe deliver terrifically offhanded performances, weaving intensity and levity into their scenes. When together, both are able to relax and even enjoy themselves, but when apart Sam is gripped by stress while Rose's inner demons come to life. Both show a mix of quiet action and interpersonal emotion, and their intimacy comes through strongly (they're a real-life couple). Gray brings a superb sarcastic sulk into the mix, whining about everything as she struggles to understand this couple's bizarre rules.

The film is skilfully shot, largely in close-up with a lush fairy tale sensibility in the forest sequences. As the premise comes into focus, the tension increases, but it's the sweeter side of Sam and Rose's relationship that deepens everything. "Falling in love," Sam tells Amber, "is like being pinned down by some great big animal before you even realise that it's been following you." This is a fiendishly clever approach to the horror genre, with an enjoyably snaky narrative and lots of nasty implications that keep us on our toes right to the abrupt final moments.

themes, language, violence

12.Oct.20