GATECRASH (2020) Reviews and overview of dark thriller

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‘When nothing makes sense, you are forced to choose’

Gatecrash is a 2020 British dark psychological thriller film that follows a couple who find themselves in a hit and run situation. Furthermore, the evidence suggests there was no accident.

Directed and co-edited by Lawrence Gough (Salvage) from a screenplay co-written with Terry Hughes and Alan Pattison, based on a play Life’s a Gatecrash by Hughes, the Goldfinch-BirdBox Entertainment production stars Olivia Bonamy, Ben Cura, Anton Lesser and Samuel West.

Plot:

A long way from home and trapped in an abusive relationship, a French woman, Nicole (Olivia Bonamy) becomes an accessory to a horrific crime and is then forced to keep it a secret by her brutal and controlling husband Steve (Ben Cura).

However, the stakes are raised when she makes a life-changing discovery that leaves her with no choice but to continue the deceit. As her feelings of isolation and fear intensify and her reality begins to fragment the couple is visited by two mysterious strangers who will not rest until the truth is revealed – at any cost…

Reviews:

“At first the dialogue between Sid, Nicole and Steve is gripping but it seems to drag on and keep going round in circles before it finally gets to some dramatic piece of action. This dragging dialogue is definitely Gatecrash’s biggest flaw, and this is in no doubt down to its theatre origins.” CineChat

“Full of grit, blood and roiling tensions, there is a version of Gatecrash which matches it in spirit as well as content […] Though the quality of the writing and a mesmerising performance from Anton Lesser ensure a watch will certainly be enjoyable, one can’t help but feel it would have been all the more so on the stage.” The Indiependent 

“Elements here suggest the Squirming Awful People Do Very Bad Things sub-genre of Stuck, A Simple Plan or Shallow Grave, but the oblique, deliberately non-naturalistic transformation of character-based suspense into near-surreal nightmare takes the piece into Harold Pinter territory …” The Kim Newman Web Site

“The dramatic pedigrees of Gatecrash are most evident here, that old adage of film dialogue being overheard but theatrical communication always addressing the third party of the audience: here fiercely so. Gatecrash ends in visceral hostility, but this is second to the impact of the devious vernaculars of its characters, their language vibrant with threat and extortion.” The Movie Waffler

“The four-person cast all deliver solid performances, even though many scenes are irritatingly prolonged in attempts at suspense – and, though things take a while to get going, the climax does offer enough action to satisfy some fans of such late-night thrillers.” Pictures That Talk

” … energetically filmed from the handheld cameras that follow Steve and Nicole through the maze of corridors to the shots of speeding cars in the middle of the night that come in the film’s third act. With a limited set and a limited budget, Gough creates an unnerving atmosphere as well as a few thrills.” The Reviews Hub

“Laurence Gough’s second feature (since 2009’s Salvage) is extraordinary given its low-key nature. Gatecrash is a film that takes you on a harrowing ride and, despite there being limited action throughout enthrals with a wonderful story. A must watch for 2021.” Upcoming on Screen

“Much more about the threat of violence and exposure than it is overtly violent, Gatecrash is a decent, well-wrought film which, although it doesn’t answer every question you may have, does more than enough to stay engaging across its ninety minutes. It certainly moves away from the predictable…” Warped Perspective

Release date:

Gatecrash was released in the UK on Digital and VOD by Moonlight Pictures on February 22nd 2021.

Technical details:

86 minutes

Trailer:

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