Cert 15
84 mins
BBFC advice: Contains very strong language, strong sex
Back in the 1970s and 80s there were creepy dramas on BBC and ITV which would live with me for weeks.
They would often be a Play For Today or one of Roald Dahl's Tales Of The Unexpected with its weird intro music.
I was reminded of their style by David Farr's unfussy but unsettling The Ones Below.
The plot surrounds a happy young couple (Clemence Poesy and Stephen Campbell Moore) who are glowing in the early weeks of pregnancy.
Meanwhile, another expectant pair (Laura Birn and David Morrissey) move into the apartment below theirs, bringing with them a sense of foreboding.
In fact, there are echoes of Sleeping With The Enemy about their perfect garden and its artificial turf and the parallel placed shoes outside of their front door.
It is not an obvious friendship-in-the-making but the women go to the gym together and, thereafter, a meal is organised and an awkward evening is had before tragedy strikes,
What happens next is at the heart of the drama of The Ones Below and Poesy, in particular, grabs the audience with her gradual meltdown.
Twists and turns abound right until the very last scene as Farr proves you do not need a huge budget to capture the imagination,
Reasons to watch: unusual, slow-burn thriller
Reasons to avoid: upsetting scenes about a baby's death
Laughs: none
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: yes
Overall rating: 7/10
Star tweet
Thanks to Allan Hunter and all at #GFF16 for a very enjoyable QandA of my film #theonesbelow. Great hospitality.
No comments:
Post a Comment