Private investigator Fletcher Dennis (Tom Burke) arrives in the town of Northampton, England in search of a bejeweled golden cross for his client Patsy Bleeker (Christopher Fairbank) who alleges the cross was stolen from his daughter by con artist James Mitchum (Darrell D'Silva). As Fletcher searches for clues to the crosses whereabouts, he encounters a cast of eccentric and bizarre characters and surreal episodes as his case may not be as simple as it initially seems.
Alan Moore is one of the most widely known names in the medium of comic books having established himself with his re-interpretation of Swamp Thing and cemented his reputation with the enduring classic Watchmen. While Moore is known mainly for his comic work, Moore has ventured into other areas such as his novels Voice of the Fire and Jerusalem which like The Show are set around Moore's hometown of Northampton. The Show teams Alan Moore's screenplay with first time feature director Mitch Jenkins who's primarily known for his photography work and after having photographed Moore in 1986 for an issue of Q Magazine became friends. Aside from some individual shorts Jenkins made in collaboration with Moore, The Show marks Jenkins' directorial debut in feature filmmaking and with Alan Moore's captivatingly bizarre screenplay and a terrific cast of British talent, The Show is the type of film just itching to be discovered for its inevitable cult audience.
From the get go, it's clear that Mitch Jenkins has an affinity for the stylings of David Lynch and Terry Gilliam as we enter the bizarre and surreal world of Alan Moore's Northampton via our proxy, Fletcher Dennis, as a seemingly simple search for a stolen cross leads to "masked superhero" librarians who know all and see all, voodoo gangsters, quirky performers (both living and "possibly" dead), and East End hoodlums who curse up a storm. The lines between dreams and reality are continually blurred as Fletcher encounters Northampton's that run the gamut from a couple of pre-pubescent private eyes, to "possibly" vampiric hospital staff, and flamboyant nightclub owners with every character a memorable oddity in a town filled with oddity.
Tom Burke of BBC's Three Musketeers and playing Orson Welles in David Fincher's Mank is fantastic as our private investigator Fletcher Dennis who concocts all manner of aliases spinning legends as easily as he breathes air but makes for a solid anchor for the audience against the weirdness both he and the audience encounter. Siobhan Hewlett is fantastic playing a self-asphyxiating journalist named Faith who forms a partnership with Fletcher as the two find themselves experiencing shared surreal visions that are tied together by information they shouldn't know. Even Alan Moore shows up playing one half of a supposedly dead comedic duo in Frank Metterton and despite the fact that he's more or less playing himself it fits in the context of the world the movie creates and the design of his costume where his hair, face, and beard are shaped into a crescent moon is a sight to appreciate. Special mention to Andrew O'Neill who plays Brenden, a neighbor in the flat Fletcher rents who gives some of the most engaging line reads that result in some of the funniest moments.
The Show like most fantasy many similar fantastical and surreal films like this is often times opaque and confusing, but it's such a visceral experience with unique and interesting characters and an immersive world that I didn't care that the "why" behind certain scenes was elusive with characters such as Frank Metterton seeming to operate on a level above the characters that they and we were outside the comprehension of mortal thought. While that type of storytelling and filmmaking technique is very hit and miss with certain directors trying to build themselves upon it and coming up with more duds than successes, The Show understands what makes compelling storytelling and characters and earns leeway from its nebulous explanations of the fantastical nature of its world.
The Show is a movie that people will love or hate for the exact same reasons. Regardless of your feelings about the movie it'll undoubtedly be an experience you remember long after the ending credits (which with the selected soundtrack are as compelling as the movie itself). If you like the films of Terry Gilliam and David Lynch then you owe it to yourself to give The Show a chance.
