Lapwing

The harshness of some critics astounds me. I am not involved with this production in any way, I am not giving it 10/10, I'm giving it an honest assessment.

A quiet, melancholy film about outsiders. The 'Civilised British' of this film are a group of religious fanatics exploiting those even lower in society than them. Living in tents and eking out an existance farming salt on the bleak Lincolnshire coast hardly makes you a part of society, yet they are still able to make profit off those even worse off than themselves.

The fact that Hannah Douglas has a stammer so severe she is functionally mute, and when she tries to speak she 'screeches like a lapwing' literalises the fact that for so many people throughout so much of history having a voice was not an option. When you can't speak, you can't speak up.

Emmett J Scanlan is a typical cult leader, in that he maintains his power through charisma and control, but what happens when the charisma stops working? Drinking more heavily through the course of the film starts things unravelling. Is he drinking because his control is slipping or is his control slipping therefore he's drinking? Either way it's a portrait of a man no longer in control of himself or others, and in my opinion it works well.

A touch more fatalistic acceptance of the way her life has gone from Hannah Douglas might have been in order and a few more happy interactions with Sebastian De Souza would have been nice, but overall a bleak, heart rending film that worked well on me.

Wow, bad acting is hard to find in the UK, but the acting in this is cringeworthy. Script is inane and childish, camerawork and direction childish.

Oh and the 10 star reviews are both clearly written by same person using same phrasing, both with accounts whose sole IMDB activity is to give this a ten.

Zero stars.

England, 1555. A young mute woman (Hannah Douglas) struggles to survive in her outcast clan, due to the lascivious advances of their leader ("Peaky Blinders"'s Emmett J. Scanlan). Goodness this is not a comfortable watch, and I should mention there are very triggering scenes of sexual assault (so be warned). The story gives me "Breaking the Waves" (1996) meets "the Piano" (1993); with a captivating lead performance of the mute Douglas; helpless in the male dominated clan. She is brilliant; and the segmentation of the story is very cool. And there is lot to take away from the commentary of the film, the cleverness of a literally 'silenced woman' of the past in a post #MeToo world is very creative; though Scanlan's central antagonist needed fleshing out. Why is he their leader? What skills put him in-charge? At points his embodiment of toxic masculinity is very one-note and lacking subtlety. This is a low budget feature film, probably with very limited resources; so when I say the cinematography is GORGEOUS in parts, I'm taking Hollywood level beautiful. Whoever Stewart MacGregor is, my word, he's talented... BOOK HIM NOW!!! For an independent film I was utterly impressed, and forgive a lot of understandable limitations on low budget features (a few of the minor roles were... just not believable). Though independent or not I was disappointed the film triggered my CUNF rule (completely unnecessary nude female). It was pointless and made little sense beyond objectification. A very, very commendable and thought provoking drama. Just quite grim and traumatising in parts.

Really impressed by this bleak but beautiful slow burner. Hannah Douglas does wonders with her role as a young mute woman up against her controlling and terrifying brother in law (Emmett J. Scanlan). The landscape may be calm and peaceful but the relationships with their psychological, and ultimately physical, battles are anything but. Sebastian de Souza offers some heart to the proceedings and Sarah Whitehouse's tortured sister brings another emotional layer to a powerful and memorable picture. A welcome end of year surprise!

From a seemingly slow start this film grabs you with a menace which is shocking and visceral. While there is a lot of violence and sex it is justified. It is also beautifully shot and will stay with you for a long time afterwards. When the finale comes it is rewarding and satisfying. An unexpectedly great film.