Derelict

Directed by Jonathan Zaurin

2024

Opening with heartwarming family home movie footage, the goal to return to such a happy, and colourful, place of comfort is the main driving force of new Midlands-made thriller Derelict.

Yet the film soon switches to compelling black and white cinematography, portraying the far more dark and lonely world of Abigail (Suzanne Fulton), a woman who is mourning the loss of her father.

One night stands fail to fulfil the wounds she’s suffering and the stress of living on a gang-filled estate add to her burdens. Compounding her woes is the discovery that she and her sister have to face the news that the man possibly related to her father’s death is soon to be released from prison.

Derelict opens with a good mystery premise. A death, and possible murder, is set up efficiently at the start and characters’ motivations established well but with room for the hidden aspects of their personalities to be uncovered as we go along.

Away from Abigail’s tale, Ewan (Pete Bird) is the man exiting prison and is a firecracker of cockiness, whilst we find his sibling Matt (Michael Coombes) is much more reserved and timid. Despite Matt attempting to avoid the criminal life, he is drawn back into a shady world on the return of his brother who also shames and belittles him.

The three main characters’ lives are edited well together with flashbacks and scenes coming out of order. But these are also clearly signposted as we switch from black and white to colour. This helps establish both time and place, but also represents the characters’ emotions and states of mind.

As Abigail gets accosted by thugs on the estate, we intercut to see Ewan and his crime buddies throwing homophobic slurs and accusations (and later far more serious assaults) at his brother and his friend in toxic displays of bullying.

These hard-to-watch scenes are one of the less engaging parts of Derelict, especially as we spend extended periods with wholly unlikeable characters, with much of their screen-time shown tormenting others. This negatively stretches out the film’s length and we see these character traits and motivations reestablished again and again which often felt like treading narrative water.

And Zack Snyder would be impressed by the extensive slow motion. Some of it used well to create intense focus, while other sequences feel sadly more like filler.

But as Abigail continues her destructive actions, she also attempts to seek revenge for her father’s death. And at the same time we find increasing sympathy for Matt, who is shown helping his ill mother, but can any of these people turn their lives around?

Shot around Hereford, the cinematography is the stand out aspect. The fantastic camera movement is exciting and visceral, shadows and silhouettes give it an engaging visual style and the colour (and lack of it) provides a strong visual (and narrative) metaphor.

The film explores a host of uncompromising themes too. Does violence beget violence? How do we deal with guilt, revenge and redemption? And the director also shows the effects of drug use and violence throughout. Abigail attempts to secure a gun and we see what she is willing to do to get it. The depths people will go to in desperation is a robust idea but there’s an argument that the endless grotesque darkness is excessive and overdone.

Whilst Abigail is shown out of her element in this tough world, the film hints upon some positive actions with a helpful neighbour and a variety of characters trying to encourage those involved to avoid this seedy life.

As we hit the third act, we finally get a flashback that fills in many of the narrative mysteries established, and one which provides a mostly satisfying conclusion with hints at the possible alternative paths characters could have walked down.

For me somewhere in here is a 1 hour 35 minute tighter cut that has a bit more impact and pace as there was a middle-act lull, some repetition of already established aspects and scenes were often lengthened to their absolute breaking point.

However, Derelict uses the extensive creativity and depth of its amazingly talented cast - who all deliver intense and believable performances throughout - to examine a host of thought-out themes. And Derelict is never short of subjects to explore, which helps make it a rich and exceptionally well-shot drama showing how people search for place and meaning in an unpleasant world often outside their control.

★★★★

4 / 5

Michael Sales