Set Me Free: Vol. II

This is a thought provoking film that leaves the watcher with many questions about how they would feel if they were in the shoes of Lauren (Nina Taylor). Kris has invoked a sense of menace and outrage from the very start in the way that Lauren's life is controlled and how her innocence is betrayed by her parents time and time again. The characters portrayed by most of the actors were utterly believable with particularly strong performances by Nina Taylor, Steve Carroll and Max Rudd. I enjoyed Ann Marie Doggett's role as the busy housewife and the two investigating Police Officers Mark Wells and Jo Lay in their dogged battle with the overbearing stupidity of their superior officer. As the story unfolds we are treated to an insight into the machinations of a baying press core which again leaves questions in the mind of the viewer about how they would react in similar circumstances. When a film leaves you thinking about it in the following days, then it has worked and this film has certainly done this. I hope it reaches a wide audience as it deserves to be out there in the public eye. Though the subject of the film is disturbing and the action tugs at your emotions in ways that you may not like, it is at the same time extremely engaging. An excellent film that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I know you need both films together to make this work, but I personally enjoyed this one more than the first one. This volume seems to have more energy and action instead of character development. Thought the ending was very good for what it's worth because when you invest your time into the story and characters for 2 and a half hours it's important to have an ending that wraps everything up nicely.

Be warned, Set Me Free is a wrenching watch. It's a story so abhorrent and seemingly hopeless that there may be times you don't want it to go on, but within its tight confines Kris Smith, with a script by Max Rudd and Laura Belcher, finds warmth and hope. It is, against all odds, uplifting. Lauren (Nina Taylor) live in a lighthouse, owned by the people she claims to be her parents. To Lauren this is the entire world, where objects - Table, Rug, Wardrobe - are the only one of their kind but it's also her prison, a cell in which she's been kept for twenty years since she was kidnapped at the age of 1 by weird couple Graham and Marie Howard (Steve Carrell & Kim Waters). The brilliance of Kris Smith's creation is making us see these two worlds as one, Lauren's magic and horror, like oil and water, emulsifying into a twisted truth that helps both keep a grip on sanity. Smith's direction is astonishing, not just because he constantly finds new ways of claustrophobia, keeping the viewer trapped in there but surprising us all the time, but for the performances he wrings from his cast. Nina Taylor is so raw as to verge on unwatchable, the pain she conveys just too upsetting to sit with. A lot of the credit for that has to go to Smith. Set Me Free drags you further into darkness in the journey to find some distant light. It's a mark of how well Smith has told his story that by the end, which takes you to places once unimaginable, you'll likely be willing to go through it all again.

So I just returned from watching both volumes of Set Me Free at a test screening and I got to say, this is impressive. I heard just before watching this that it was done on such a shoe-string budget and the thought of this just blew me away, it was handled in such a way that's quite beyond perfection. It's a riveting and harrowing story that focuses on very interesting characters and it delivers such charm and joy even though it is a dark mystery thriller. I think concepts like this are always misled or not done properly in big Hollywood films whether it's the company's interference or not, but Set Me Free grabs an emotional response and it's films like this that should gain public interest and be shown to thousands.

VERY long story short, our main protagonist is Lauren (Nina Taylor) who is confined indoors in a lighthouse by her strange parents whom she addresses formally ("Father, Mother"). She is told to never leave the lighthouse and explore outside for it is toxic and would instantly kill her without a certain protective gear. As days go by her suspicions grow more and she eventually dares to go out, not knowing that the oxygen outside is totally safe and normal (like it always has been). But Lauren is discovered by a single mum, detectives and a social-worker (who becomes a therapist) and soon begins to realise that her whole life in the lighthouse was a lie; the air outside, certain rules inside the lighthouse and especially the people who claim to be her parents. Meanwhile a hardworking journalist (Leila Kotori) gets a position at an impressive news organisation and investigates how to corrupt and expose poor Lauren into the truth behind her past. I'm not going to spoil the entire thing as it's such a complex story line but that's the core point. It's preachy and manipulative – it lets the story speak for itself.

The performances are debatable as some acting is weaker than others but on the plus side it's not distracting. Nina Taylor proves that she doesn't mind being put into the most unflattering light possible and for that she is fearless, bold and interesting to keep watching. The kidnap parents (Steve Carroll and Kim Waters) are truly in the spotlight in my personal opinion as they were perfect as the unusual parents, better than the rest of the performances.

Set Me Free is the kind of film that inspires debate and discussion long after the credits have rolled. It's ambiguous and mystery is a positive, believe me! It's well directed, well written and more importantly entertaining all the way throughout. This is how dramas should be and I wish to see more films like this.

This film is the best, it has some interesting twists and keeps me engaged. The actors did an amazing job and I loved the direction of the film itself. Jess, you are an amazing actress who knows how to get into the skin of the character in a believable way. Other actors did well too and I know they are already achieving the success they deserve. Well done everyone, I am so proud of you to those who are actually trying to make their dreams become a reality. A great day to spend a few hours; excellent and outstanding. Highly recommended. I enjoyed it highly and would watch this multiple times. Great!