Cast: Clémence Poésy, Stephen Campbell Moore,
David Morrissey, Laura Birn 

Writer/Director: David Farr

  87 mins

Kate (Clémence Poésy) and Justin (Stephen Campbell Moore) live in a smart flat in a desirable suburban area of London. Kate is pregnant and both she and her husband couldn't be happier. They live upstairs and, quite naturally are curious about their new downstairs neighbours, Theresa (Laura Birn) and Jon (David Morrissey). Their impressions are generally positive as far as the somewhat unsteady and diffident Theresa is concerned. She too is pregnant, although she is quite anxious about it, since apparently, she and her husband have already suffered through unsuccessful attempts to have children. Kate and Justin decide they should invite the couple upstairs for a meal, where they finally meet the pompous, grandiose Jon. Theresa sneaks large mouthfuls of wine when Jon is out of eyesight, and her behaviour worries Kate. The night ends on an angry, bitter note when Theresa has a tragic accident.

Theresa and Jon leave the other couple a note as they’ve decided after some deliberation to go away to recover - and when they finally return some months later, Kate has given birth. Things are tense between the couples initially, which adds to Kate's own anxiety about motherhood. She is having a hard time emotionally, working from home as well as caring for all her responsibilities without much help from Justin, nor from her mother Tessa (Deborah Findlay), though that's more about their own unhappy relationship. More out of desperation than anything else, Kate begins leaving baby Billy with Theresa, who is only too happy to help. As time passes, however, Kate begins to question Theresa's conduct with the child, which she interprets as suspicious. Is Theresa really plotting something evil, or is Kate losing her grip on reality? The film relies on common apprehensions about neighbours in the modern age of anxiety. With everyone coming and going nowadays, always in search of an ideal place to live, the trusting neighbourhood spirit is dying. Everyone is working, too, so who has time to get to know the people next door? Really, who can you trust? 

David Farr, who wrote the original screenplay and makes his feature directorial debut, is a veteran playwright and stage director. He also wrote the BBC script for the acclaimed television adaptation of John le Carré's The Night Manager. His script reflects his experience - it builds slowly yet logically. It's not so much about the twists, which are somewhat telegraphed, it's more about the characters, who are each driven by motivations that appear entirely logical from their singular point of view. The atmosphere is dark and gloomy with occasional outbursts of sunshine. Photographed well, it feels both cool and warm, as though perspiration is beaded up just out of sight. It's a palpable feeling of unease that steadily permeates the proceedings, aided by some excellent editing. It’s an outstanding piece of work - as the air is slowly sucked out of the beautiful and increasingly deadly atmosphere.