Midlands Review of Cliff Edge

Cliff Edge

Directed by Samuel Bossman

2020

Deadman

Filmed partly in Birmingham, Cliff Edge is a new 20-minute drama exploring the difficult issue of male mental health in the 21st century.

A man (director/star Samuel Bossman as “Joe”) awakes from a vision on a cliff edge before he’s brought back to reality as a woman walks out of a pub in this opening of this recently released short that takes us through a slice of life story of a withdrawn man’s problems.

We cut to another day and from smoothies to working out, the film’s lead tries to maintain a sense of normality in the world. Suiting up for work and downing a beer, the film portrays an ever-growing sense of tedium in modern society given its reliance on technology and its subsequent distancing effects.

And more beer, takeaways, and extensive mobile phone use keeps the lead trapped in his apartment (and life). Hours lost and with frustration setting in, the man fails to even remove his work clothes, adrift as he is in his own sphere.

Habit and routine have made Joe’s life mundane and his evening ends by swiping through photos on a dating app. Arising the next morning, Joe vomits in his bathroom before realising he’s late for a meeting and rushes through a bustling city.

Joe bumps into the woman from the opening flashback, also doing so without realising it’s his future date. And as they are both looking down, self-absorbed in their mobile phones, they continue on their way, oblivious to their connection.

Finally, he’s back in the pub and as we return to the beginning of the short, the woman (Laryssa Schoek as “Eve”) explains her work in a scene of introverted awkwardness.

Joe’s lack of interest, not in just the date, but with the world in general shows his emotional distance and detached loneliness. Despite his depressive mannerisms, his date lends a more-than-kind listening ear but Joe throws it back in her face and she leaves.

The end of the short gives us a little hope but does seem to arrive from nowhere and is probably the film’s least engaging aspect. But the performances are good and the narrative clear yet suitably puzzling to maintain interest.

However, Cliff Edge ultimately concludes as a well-filmed study of the headaches faced in the present day. And it focuses on the complicated interaction between technology, isolation and psychological well-being.

The film also attempts to portray a non-judgmental narrative that neither condones nor absolves the protagonist. Much like Joe, the film very much has a “just is” tone. We’re left to find meaning in the film like Joe’s trying to find meaning in himself. And overall its swift 20 minutes provides a successful metaphor for contemporary angst.

Michael Sales

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Midlands on the Move: A Local Lad in London

By midlandsmovies • December 4, 2025

Local film critic Jacob Holmes heads outside the region to the BFI London Film Festival. In our latest Midlands on the Move feature, Jacob shares some helpful hints in a first timers guide to what to expect when visiting these type of events that may be new to local filmmakers and film fans. In 2025 I had the honour of attending the 69 th BFI London Film Festival for a week, I attending premieres for some of my most anticipated films of the year. And even grabbed a press pass too. This wasn’t my first film festival, but this was my first London Film Fest and to be brutally honest, in the build-up, I was nervous! Sadly, I found the BFI and Accreditation websites not very intuitive and quite confusing. So this this article hopes to give some peace of mind and let people know what they can expect when attending such UK festivals - both as a regular guest and as press. Tickets Getting regular tickets can be stressful, akin to a big concert. And in a way it's like the Hunger Games, a survival of the fittest type of vibe. First off, BFI advertise tickets go on sale at 10am in September, which is true but not wholly accurate. Instead, at 9am you head to the website and get put in a waiting room with a random allocated number for when the actual sale start at 10am. At that time it tells you where you are in the queue. If you get lucky, you could wait 15 minutes, but often the wait can be an hour plus. Finally when you can make a purchase, you are let in and can put all tickets into your basket. I have two years of experience with this queue! The first time, I failed completely and all movies I wanted to see were sold out. But this year I had a plan! The key to success is knowledge to how to play the game. Tip 1: For the best possible chances, subscribe to the BFI and become a member. The year membership was £35 at its cheapest. And if you're in the Midlands like I am, outside the festival a membership can be fairly useless unless you go to London often. But what this membership gives you is important. A week before general release there is a presale for BFI members. Not only is this a benefit, it also gives you a crucial second chance. By that I mean if things don't go your way the first time, you can try again in the general sale. And I had to do exactly this. When general admissions came out, I tried again for tickets for Wake Up Dead Man and got my ticket! Tip 2: Quantity. There's nothing against the rules saying you can’t enter the queue on multiple devices! I was placed very low down in the queue in my first year on one laptop, but this year I used my phone, PC, laptop, my friend's laptops AND my friends' devices! But it all paid off. Devices can take 2 hours or only 30 minutes. More Devices = Higher chance of getting tickets. Tip 3: Know the films you want to see beforehand. If you don’t know what films you want to see or when they screen you will be completely lost. Write a timetable - and furthermore, have back up plans. Sometimes you'll click on what you want and it will be sold out, but having a backup plan will be much easier overall. Tip 4: Even if you don’t get tickets, it's not the end of the world. There are plenty of second-hand ticket websites selling tickets at normal (or sometimes cheaper) prices. Websites like Twickets, social media accounts like @LFFstubs on X or the r/londonfilmfestival on Reddit will have second-hand tickets. In fact, I sold one of my tickets on Twickets and had no complaints either. Press passes As you can imagine, this process is very different for industry passes. The biggest issue is tickets go on sale in waves each day. Instead of one go, pass holders book their tickets day by day. Tickets go on sale at 8am two days before, usually taking place on the accreditation app or website. In some ways this is easier, but it's also a gigantic pain. Although it's MUCH easier to get a ticket, do have to wake up every single day to go onto a laggy website and book a few tickets. You may even have to book tickets in the cinema. Another issue can be if you plan to see both general and press screenings. One you book way in advance, but press screenings are booked during the fest. Ticket prices for public screenings vary, but the gala/premiere screenings are usually £30-£40. Whilst the press screenings are completely free, you just have to pay for the pass itself which is around £55.