Klokkenluider, 2022.
Written & Directed by Neil Maskell.
Starring Tom Burke, Jenna Coleman, Dominic Mallet, Sura Dohnke, Roger Evans, and Amit Shah.
SYNOPSIS:
A darkly comic, character-driven thriller following a government whistleblower and his forthright wife as they are sent to a remote house in Belgium. Joined by two close protection officers, they await the arrival of a British journalist.
Neil Maskell is no stranger to the thriller genre, having worked with Ben Wheatley on the likes of Kill List and High Rise and 2021’s excellent and brutally intense Bull from Paul Andrew Williams. Maskell himself now makes his debut as a director with Klokkenluider, which premiered at the London Film Festival and stars an ensemble cast led by Tom Burke, Amit Shah, Dominic Mallet and Jenna Coleman. It focuses on a pair of bodyguards/hitmen hired to protect a whistleblower.
Mostly set in a house in Flanders, Belgium under the guise of a 40th birthday party for Amit Shah’s Ewan and his wife Silke, we focus on the waiting game until a journalist (Coleman) arrives to brief them on their story. The films title comes from the Dutch word for whistleblower.
Maskell, who is also on writing duty has clearly learnt many tricks of the trade when it comes to crafting a fine black-comedy from Williams and Wheatley, delivering an often very funny film, reliant on the comedic timing of its eclectic cast and their ability to shift from comedy to drama at ease and playing against type. Burke and Roger Evans as bickering heavies provide for a lot of laughs and bring a sense of fun to what could in other hands have played more as a straight up thrill ride. The black comedy element keeps viewers on edge about the film’s tone and some of the surprises that are ultimately in store, the ending particularly feels inspired and shows Maskell himself is not afraid to shy away from shocking an audience.
For a debut feature he has managed to incorporate elements associated with his previous collaborators but also to carve his own distinct piece of art, with a witty fast paced script and a clear understanding of how to direct his established cast. Once Jenna Coleman is introduced in the film’s final third, she is a true delight delivering a sweary, outburst heavy performance, a far cry from her roles in Victoria or Doctor Who and showing a range she hasn’t been afforded to tap into to date. Likewise Burke who has had multiple films at the festival is given room to flex his comedic muscles and have fun, relishing the opportunity.
If not quite perfected Klokkenluider shows an actor who has made a natural shift into the director’s chair, in a genre he clearly feels at home in, managing to effortlessly blend at times pitch-black comedy with more dramatic fare and bringing the shock value one might expect. He elicits strong performances from across his cast and makes the most of the films tight 80 minute run time and largely one location setting, that give it an almost play-like feel.
As far as first features go this is mightily impressive and we can only hope that Neil Maskell has more directorial efforts in the pipeline after showing an instant understanding of the more complex machinations and how to produce a fine piece of work.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie ★ ★ ★ ★
Chris Connor
