Another intriguing indie coming out of the U.K., 2019’s Criminal Audition, co-written and directed by Samuel Gridley, is a highly original, uniquely twisted mystery drama with a subtle undercurrent of dark humour running just below the surface – something the British are so bloody good at.
A little like an intricately written stage play, Gridley drops us into a most claustrophobic setting. . . first introducing us to a dilapidated, soon to be flattened old theatre during the hyper-stylized opening credits, this soundproof tomb is the location chosen by twitchy, highly stressed criminal mastermind, William (Rich Keeble). Though he’s the boss pulling the strings, our eyes are those of Ryan (Luke Kaile – the other co-writer of the script), a much younger grunt worker who knows William and his operation all too well.
Building a niche in hiring criminals (or would be criminals) for rich people who are looking for someone else to take the fall for them (paying them handsomely for their services), Ryan was one of these people. . . upon being released from the clink, he soon found his way back to William as he had nowhere else to go. William also has Moe (Scott Samain) working for him, a strong silent type, a lot of the subtle comedy coming from his seemingly nonchalant, almost disgruntled behaviour – to be honest, this is probably what you want from your ‘fixer’. It is also worth noting that this is no major criminal organization, but rather a small starter underground business run by people you wouldn’t expect to be in this most dangerous game.
Their most recent audition brings in three desperate individuals willing to commit murder for a big pay-day: Lydia (Rebecca Calienda) – a spiraling out of control young woman who has had her daughter taken away from her; Jay (Blain Neale) – the most polished criminal of the group; and Preston (Ben Scheck) – a twisted man who has lived on the straight and narrow, but is now looking for some grizzly kicks.
Only problem. . . Mrs. M (Noeleen Comiskey), the rich benefactor of this most recent file, wants to be involved in the intricate, well designed step by step process (plus, it is never a good sign when someone seems a bit aroused by this type of situation). Further complicating things, she has brought her tweed suit wearing right hand man, Morris (Cameron Harris), along for some inexplicable reason – it is likely not for his flashy fashion sense (also worth noting – he seems to be having a bit too much fun considering what is about to happen).
Flipping the script multiple times, Gridley and Kaile relish every twist and turn. . . the panicked look in a person’s eyes when they realize they may not hold the power they once thought they had, is exactly what they are going for. It is like a game of cat and mouse, only those roles can change in the blink of an eye. . .to switch analogies, the puppet master becoming the marionette at a moment’s notice. One thing is for sure, even a single misstep will result in game over.
As the moments tick by, we can see the fuse burning towards the powder keg, each second unfurling ulterior motives, unexpected character development, and new alliances (built upon a fragile deck of cards) adding to the sense of inescapability of the situation. We feel the characters’ tension, claustrophobia, anxiety, panic and fear – the eyes capturing their desperate attempts to work through the quickly changing scenarios, brainstorming to find some power play or escape plan.
Built on a solid story (that never cheats), actors savouring every moment onscreen (nearly impossible to choose a scene stealer when everyone is so on their game), visuals that only further the narrative (including some striking cinematography from Richard Osborne), and a certain mesmeric combination of old school noir fused with a Quentin Tarantino-style flair, one thing is for sure – Criminal Audition has surely won the role. Creative, original, and often surprisingly subtle, it should make any film fan excited to see where these creative minds and talented actors will go in the very near future. So, grab a cuppa tea (and maybe a crumpet) and devour this British indie picture – trust me, there’s no reason to stall.