PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Ah; YouTube. It’s not just for entertainment anymore, it’s practically a lifestyle. And for a wealthy girl like Leah in Darragh Carey and Bertrand Desrochers’ film, A Brixton Tale, getting gritty footage is a way to break into the professional film world. And she’ll do anything to get there.
Synopsis:
Wealthy YouTuber Leah chooses shy youth Benji as the subject of her Brixton documentary. They fall for each other, but the desire for edgy footage leads them down a violent path.
In her quest to break into the art world, Leah (Lily Newmark: Pin Cushion) chooses a shy boy, Benji (Ola Orebiyi: Limbo), who lives in a gritty housing project as her subject. The two soon fall into a sexual relationship, but Benji starts to wonder if Leah is just using him.
There is a lot of potential in this movie, and it very nearly gets there. It could be an exploration of class, race, and the heartbreak of love, but it stops just short of that. At a blazing one hour and sixteen minutes, A Brixton Tale seems almost in too much of a hurry to say something that they forget to say anything meaningful.
And it’s a shame. The two leads are incredible. Lily Newmark’s spoiled Leah is wonderful in a casually sociopathic way. She is drawn to Benji, but she wants, she wants, she wants. Benji is a way to get footage for her, but it’s impossible to tell if she genuinely feels anything more. Ola Orebiyi’s Benji is the perfect counterpoint. Smart, shy, and soulful, he wears his feelings on his sleeve, and it’s clear he knows he’s being used. I’d also like to highlight the best performance in the film: Craige Middleburge (CO-D) as Archie, Benji’s drug addicted friend. Sometimes I couldn’t understand everything he said, but he was great every single moment he was on screen. His final scene with Orebiyi is just amazing!
Overall, this is a film worth seeing for the performances!
