Mile End (2016)

I saw this film at the I Filmmaker International Film Festival in Marbella which was a really lovely festival and the screening conditions were great, this allowed us to see the films with good sound and get a real idea of their quality. And talking about quality I was surprised at the quality of Mile End knowing how little the budget had been (speaking to director G Higgins). As you watch it it gets better and better and pulls you in. The actors are good and the chemistry between them works well, suspense builds too. I am looking forward to seeing this directors new works and also what will happen when he gets a production company and money behind him. Would recommend this film!

Made redundant Paul {Andrew Humes) life is a mess. While out running he meets John (Mark Arnold). They strike up an unlikely friendship and things seem to take a turn for the good. However, John's behavior becomes erratic even obsessive taking Paul on a more sinister downward journey with unexpected results. Higgins brings us a tension that simmers just beneath the surface holds our attention. A visually thought provoking film with sold performances from the cast makes this movie worth your time. Winner Best Feature NYC Independent Film festival 2016, Winner Best film Melbourne Indie Film Festival 2016, Best UK Feature Raindance Film Festival Nominee 2015. Look forward to more from this writer/director.

An unsettling thriller with some genuinely scary moments that I didn't see coming and had me jumping out of my seat! The acting was excellent, the hero a totally believable ordinary bloke of the sort you might work with or live next to, placed in a sinister situation which again, you could imagine yourself being drawn into unwittingly. The film develops an atmosphere of creepiness, claustrophobia and menacing psychological dysfunction which is enhanced by contrasting expansive views of the London's riverside, where which much of the action is set. Mark Arnold as John is really scary and threatening- he'd make a very good Bond villain! There are some surprising twists and a really satisfying ending.

This is a great film. It's such a pleasure to see a film where all the elements come together as perfectly as they do in Mile End. Great casting – I enjoyed the contrast between the leads: one of them so self-contained and desperate to break out of the limiting and mundane nine to five world he finds himself trapped within; and the other so open and genial on the surface but ultimately looking for a 'friend' to drag into his murky, dark and dangerous world. Arnold particularly gave a convincing and expertly controlled performance as the troubled and damaged John. The clever writing created a totally plausible relationship between the two of them and the tension built steadily throughout keeping me gripped to the end. I loved the photography and those big London vistas - good to see the East end for a change. And I only jumped out of my seat once! Would definitely recommend this.