Bridgend

There's a documentary made a few years earlier that is way more informative about these events in Bridgend than this really quite messy dramatisation. This really centres around the relationship between the newly arrived "Sara" (Hannah Murray) whose dad "Dave" (Steven Waddington) is a police officer and "Jamie" (Josh O'Connor). The latter lad is a lifer in this town and quite possibly knows something of what has caused the almost lemming-like suicidal activity that is puzzling this small community. Unfortunately, this film chooses not to focus on any aspects of these tragedies, but more to shine it's light on the boozy and thuggish activities of the town's fairly lawless youth - which I have to say, isn't really very interesting. It's got O'Connor in it, so of course there are sex and sexual tensions, but he's nowhere near his best and the remainder of the cast - some of whom are real locals, deliver little more than a angrily scripted critique on a recently arrived family under pressure, some hormonal and cultish messing about in the river and it leaves us none the wiser about the root causes of these deaths nor about the complexities of the grief and, to an extent, the fear felt by those surviving. Perhaps the six years director Jeppe Rønde spent researching the film and acquainting himself with the community immersed him too deeply for him to remain even slightly objective about what he was trying to tell us, and so what we have is left isn't really worth the film, sorry.

Such an intense movie with so much hard, darkness and yet it's beautiful in a way that is hard to describe. This movie got under my skin. It is highly recommended.

Tricky. For anyone familiar with the very real instance about the spate of suicides that has blighted the Welsh county of Bridgend, then this film is likely to be a mixed viewing experience. For sure during the film one can't help but keep thinking about the real events, the theories and facts of such, so it's a little distracting because Jeppe Rønde's film demands the utmost attention throughout.

It should be noted with all seriousness that this is only a meditation on the real events, it's not offering up answers, so people should seek out all official text and documentary of the events for the real picture. The film operates in the haunting space of the ethereal, both narratively and visually, with the youngsters at the story's core firmly caught between two worlds. The behaviour of the youths here will cause consternation in some quarters, their recklessness and daring on the surface not making sense, but really that's the point. Sense doesn't operate, not here or in the real world.

There's a number of striking sequences that show Jeppe Rønde as someone who has something to offer the indie art cinema circle. Such as the naked youngsters floating silently in the lake that has become their getaway place, and the finale at same lake that is akin to lambs paddling to their slaughter. Of course the director has had to fend off charges of sensationalism, romanticising suicide etc, that was to be expected, but he hasn't. He has produced a film of intrigue and emotional depth, one that stays with you long after that haunting final shot has vanished. 7/10

Got to be honest, I did not get what was going on. I'm thinking perhaps I'm just too old to understand what's going on in the minds of teenagers, though at the same time, I do remember times as a teenager when I left like just letting go.

The movie is based on actual events. A small town in the south of Whales that has had a high suicide rate among teenagers from 2007- 2012 and no explanation was given for why this was happening as the teens killed themselves without giving one.

It looks like the filmmakers are trying to make as real of a narrative as possible to what was going on in the town. Exploring the day to day lives of these kids as they attempt to live their lives to the fullest until one day they just decide they don't want to anymore.

I did like the look of the movie, and how it flowed. The main character, Sara was great to look at, I loved her interactions with other characters such as Thomas and Jamie, it was beautiful to watch and felt very natural, just a bunch of kids connecting. Also felt the music greatly added to the film. Bridgend really feels like the filmmakers are running the events through their heads to find an answer themselves to what's going on but never do.

Bridgeend works without a plot, which does not work for me. The movie is met for a certain type of person and I'm definitely not that person it's trying to reach and I just have to except that.

I did like the cinematography the art direction and the acting, but the concepts do not reach me and because of that I needed the answer these kids could not find.

Bridgend attempts to explore a deeply unsettling real-life tragedy, but despite its eerie atmosphere and strong cinematography, the film struggles to deliver a coherent or impactful narrative. The misty, bleak landscapes perfectly set the tone, and there's an undeniable sense of dread throughout. However, the storytelling feels vague and frustratingly elusive, failing to provide meaningful insight into the tragic events it depicts.

Hannah Murray delivers a committed performance, bringing raw emotion to her role, but the film's repetitive nature and lack of depth make it a difficult watch. Instead of diving into the psychological and societal factors behind the story, it leans too much on mood and abstraction, leaving the audience disconnected rather than immersed.

While the film deserves credit for its ambition and visual aesthetic, it ultimately falls short of being a gripping or thought-provoking experience.