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.

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.

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!

We are dealing with something serious here. Upcoming director Kris Smith's Set Me Free is quite the trip as it shines with it's diverse characters, clever twists and the idea of going deep into the rabbit hole of mayhem. It's an intriguing analytical mess of reality, mystery and emotion. Set Me Free focuses on the desire to seek the truth of the past, though it always comes back to haunt you, it is the trouble and isolation that comes with that - which our main girl Lauren/Ava deals with. The story has a certain way of exploring the psychological persuasion into a way of thinking; Could this happen to your loved one? Astounding and original.

The women steal the film in my opinion (such as Nina Taylor, Leila Kotori, Ann-Marie Doggett, Jo Lay etc), their strong feminine approach creates such a strong impact to the film making me want to watch more. Well done girls! It's funny how the men are depicted as somewhat weak in the whole film (with minor exceptions from the father character) and the female roles are the ones that push the story forward. Nice touch. Charlotte was my favourite character due to her manipulation, greed of power and exposure of others, and I believe the film starts to become way more interesting the minute she first appears.

While there is still something I still cannot quite describe that holds Set Me Free back from being one of the best films i've seen this year, I cannot stop thinking about how powerful and great it really is. It is an ambiguous film that stays with you long after you've watched it and one that packs fantastic performances. This is an incredible film by a young, ambitious team of filmmakers. But don't get me wrong, there will undoubtedly be some debate about whether this is cutting edge independent filmmaking or just another snooty art-house mind-messer. All I can say is, I hope the film grabs enough audience for the debate to matter. It deserves it.

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.