Magpie, 2024.
Directed by Sam Yates.
Starring Daisy Ridley, Matilda Lutz, Shazad Latif, Alistair Petrie, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Niall Wright, and Cherrelle Skeete.
SYNOPSIS:
A couple find their lives turned upside-down when their daughter is cast alongside a controversial major star.
There are horny guys, and then there is Shazad Latif’s Ben of director Sam Yates’s Magpie, a father and significant other who quickly finds himself obsessed with the attractive, “scandalous” actress Alicia (Matilda Lutz) his daughter Matilda (Hiba Ahmed) is acting opposite in some period piece. He is also a hypocrite, as his initial reaction upon watching her leaked sex tape is to write off however she might feel, suggesting that “she looks like she enjoyed it.” As soon as they meet and he is given a shred of attention and even thanked for hearing her out and listening about her problems, his tune doesn’t just change. He is lustful for the remaining 80 minutes in pathetically hilarious ways. However, the saddest and funniest part is how real the character feels.
Ben is an author who clearly seems partially responsible for issues with his relationship with Daisy Ridley’s Anette and her mental health. He also appears to use extended work trips as an excuse to abandon his family. Of course, none of this stops him from projecting to Alicia that his broken relationship is all Anette’s fault. Anette is not stupid, though, and immediately puts together that Ben hasn’t become so insistent on taking his daughter to set every day because he suddenly cares about being there. As he continues to make casual small talk with Alicia onset, he brings that attention to her home with them, more concerned with masturbating in the shower than helping his wife make breakfast or being useful in any way.
From a screenplay by Tom Bateman, Magpie is a darkly funny look into how a narcissistic mind is altered when the individual is getting what they want. It’s also about how attraction can snowball into not only adultery but also a sexual craving addiction. In general, Ben is a loser from the first scene and only gets worse from there, and the sharp screenplay knows how to build on that and turn it into a howler of a punchline.
The less said about Magpie is for the better, but it’s worth pointing out that while Anette seems passive or as if the character doesn’t have much to do since the film is constantly focused on how perpetually horny Ben is (with scenes of him texting Alicia presented as lustful fantastical imaginations in his head, also making for good laughs), she’s not naïve and not going to take this emotional abuse. Some aspects recontextualize Daisy Ridley’s performance into something more proactive and crafty, giving greater admiration for what she pulls off here.
There is a downside in that much of Magpie is the same joke played over and over again effectively enough, which is also offset by the reality that, again, there is something deeper, concerning, and troubling about Ben’s behavior that likely speaks to countless men around the world. However, it also works as a thriller since there is always the uncomfortable feeling that those laughs at the expense of Ben could stop if things turn dangerous for Anette. Nevertheless, even when it starts to slow down and drag a bit, the payoff is beyond worthwhile and easily worth a recommendation alone.
SEE ALSO: Read our exclusive interview with Daisy Ridley about Magpie
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
Originally published November 10, 2024. Updated November 15, 2024.
