Magpie

Magpie is a great showcase of Daisy Ridley's acting chops. She shows here that she can tackle a serious and complicated role outside of the Star Wars universe. The movie's premise is about a family's young daughter who is an actress who is starring along side a very popular actresss. The husband of the family starts to be infatuated with the actress and descends with being unfaithful to his wife who is played by Daisy Ridley. There is a little bit of cat and mouse game that is played here to effect and it's a slow burn. Magpie might not be for everyone who is looking for a fast paced thriller. Magpie gets a solid 7 stars out of 10 from me.

Living in a sumptuous modern country house, successful but blocked Anglo-Pakistani author Ben is stuck in a dour marriage to Annette. This state of affairs is telegraphed from the outset, with much of the marital discontent Ben's own fault. He is clearly bored by his unhappy spouse, while Annette is suppressing anger over Ben's condescending attitude and lack of support after she gave up her career to raise their two children. The eldest is 6YO Mathilda, who has been cast in a film as the daughter of its principal character. As Ben escorts Matilda to the set each day, he becomes attracted to lead actress Alicia, and Annette soon becomes suspicious.

Deeper discord becomes apparent as jealousy grows, leaving one wondering why the couple doesn't just call time on their dismal union. Meanwhile the narrative settles into a creative rut with all three main characters depicted as deceitful, manipulative and fairly unlikable. The story trots along an unexceptional path until it arrives at the surprise twist and melodramatic climax which is obligatory for this movie genre. The project may well be commercially successful, but thirty seconds of reflection after the end titles will have many shaking their heads at the characters' shallowness and the plot's implausibility. The acting is decent, but the screenplay's deficiencies leave one yearning for the richness of a classic like 'Body Heat' which enabled Kathleen Turner to transform deceit and manipulation into an art form.

As "Magpie" (2024 release from the UK; 90 min.) opens, a young girl named Mathilda (or Tilly) passes a film screening and is cast in a movie, playing the young daughter in a costume drama. The mother's role in the movie is played by a well-known and somewhat controversial actress. Mathilda's set chaperone is her dad, and it's not before long that he is smitten by the controversial actress... At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from British director Sam Yates, best known for his theater work. Here he brings a British marriage mystery thriller with a no-names British cast. The entire movie pivots on a couple of plot twists, which of course I'm not going to spoil. Even though the movie lasts only 90 minutes, it takes quite a while to really get going. But the last 15 minutes or thereabouts are a lot of fun and make up for the slow start.

"Magpie" premiered at the 2024 SXSW film festival and had a short US theatrical run later that year. It is now streaming on Hulu where I caught it just the other night. The movie is currently rated 83% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, which seems quite generous to me. If you are in the mood for a British marriage-gone-wrong thriller, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

By far the best aspect of taut little British psychological drama "Magpie" is its cracking lead performance from Daisy Ridley as a doormat wife trampled on by narcissist hubbie Shazad Latif as she edges towards insanity in their beautiful yet remote country home. Things come to a head when young daughter Hiba Ahmed is cast in a film shooting nearby, where Latif gets drawn to captivating lead actress Matilda Lutz (rising star)... but how will Ridley react? Sam Yates' direction's fine, Tom Bateman's debut screenplay's neat enough (albeit with holes), and the support cast's solid - but the big fish here is unquestionably Ridley. A terrific actress, so strong again.

The first half of the film is more of a character study, about a profoundly unhappy and lonely housewife, Anette, who soon finds out her husband, Ben, may be having an affair with a famous actress, Alicia. The second half of the film is more of a thriller where we see the tempo begin to pick up and the wheels begin turning in Anette's head.

The film is a true slow burn: at first chilly and frigid, then warm and bubbling, then explosive in its final act. It's gripping, engrossing, and tense throughout. It's anchored by a fantastic performance by Daisy Ridley. She's a true revelation. Her quiet moments of festering anger are wrenching. There's a symbolic scene where we see her crack a mirror after pushing into it for a few moments that symbolizes their shattering marriage. Shazad Latif is also good here.

The film does have some mediocre aspects. The trailer is quite misleading. It can drag and get a tad tedious at times. The ending may be cathartic and rewarding for some viewers, while mediocre for other viewers. Hiba Ahmed as Matilda, the daughter, is just okay, though child performances in film are often not very good. She felt more like a prop than a character. And Matilda Lutz, while really beautiful and charming and convincing as a movie star in the context of the film, was just alright. Perhaps it's because Lutz is Italian that many of her lines sounded odd or stilted.

If you like thrillers with strong acting, especially ones involving female rage, eroticism, and infidelity, this will be up your alley.