Directors: Ollie Gardner and Jake Harvey
The State of Us proves that a screenplay doesn’t need to be overly complicated to work. Unfolding over a single night, the film follows childhood best friends, now young adults, Frankie and Taylor as they escape from hospital for a night of debauchery, while paying close attention to even its seemingly random details (such as a necklace that serves both dramatic and comic purposes), with the film carrying its significance through to the end. The narrative rests squarely on the shoulders of its two male leads, who develop genuine chemistry across the more-often-than-not engaging 90-minute runtime. While the performances are strong, the script occasionally pushes them into melodrama (Taylor is in hospital because he is terminally ill). This is, however, a narratological shortcoming—or perhaps a non-arguable writers’ prerogative—rather than a failing on the part of the actors or the direction.
What the film uncovers beneath its raucous buddy-comedy surface is a weighty theme of emotional imprisonment handed down through generations. The characters—Samuel Bottomley’s rowdy, pigheaded (or “dickhead-ed,” as he is often called) Frankie and Callum Scott Howells’ more introspective Taylor—anchor the story with believable rapport. The periurban Scottish setting is rendered in atmospheric detail, with a moody, cinematic palette that is both pleasing and effective. Although a bit self-indulgent in its juvenile comedy aspects (a urine-mixed cocktail is used, though not gratuitously) and constant cursing (“fuckin'” appears almost once a sentence in certain scenes), most episodes (even the ganja-smoking ritual during a realistically depicted party scene), authentically capture the vibe of young adulthood.
The no-way-forward narrative and unglamorous mood recall classics like The Full Monty and Trainspotting. While the debut likely draws from these milestones of local and regional cinema, it finds its own voice relatively quickly, centering firmly on the bond between the two leads while exploring vaster themes of generational trauma, inherited depression, alcoholism, and rage. Dark as these aspects make it, the film also offers funnily crafted performances and genuine comic relief—notably via Frances Barber’s isolated hospital patient, who similarly defies authority to celebrate life in her original (and endearing) way.
First-time directors Ollie Gardner and Jake Harvey have framed the film around the concept of (non)toxic masculinity, presenting young men whose lives are severely marked—and clearly conditioned—by the ghosts in their parents’ closets. With such a universally relatable premise, there is in fact little that could go wrong. All in all, while the melodrama remains heavy-handed, especially at the end, in combination with its well-written dialogue and naturally-woven action, this ultimately lends the film a relatively original personality, which, combined with its sensibility and understanding of young adult trauma makes this a more-than-palatable cinematic debut.
The State of Us screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival from 13-19 August.
