Reviewed by Alasdair Morton
Stars Alex Reid, Shauna MacDonald, Jamie Draven,
Cal Macaninch, Adam Shaw
Written by Simon Welsford
Cinematography by Zac Nicholson
Certification UK 15
Runtime 84 minutes
Directed by Simon Welsford
Much like Christopher Nolan’s debut, the no-budget Following, Simon Welsford’s debut feature, a complexly plotted surveillance thriller, might be low on budget but it is by no means short on ideas, or style.
Grace (The Descent’s Reid) wakes up in the surf on an empty beach, the waves lapping at her face. Who is she? Why is she there? Where is she? What follows answers these questions, in part, through a complexly plotted tale of spies, mysterious government-safeguarded computer projects and hi-tec snooping gadgetry. The plot weaves its way in and out, alternating perspectives and revealing its tale slowly but knowingly, but it loses itself along the way through its desire to surprise and confound. Lacking an element of depth, particularly emotionally, the film has a tendency to come across as cold and clinical too.
It’s not new territory by any means, but it is directed with verve, confidence, an assuredness of touch and, most importantly, a keen cinematic understanding that means that it should serve amply well as a calling card for Welsford who is, on this evidence, surely headed for bigger things.