341. Winter Ridge; movie review

WINTER RIDGE
Cert 12A
87 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate threat, violence

One of my favourite elements of the everyfilm challenge is when we find a British indie in which quality matches ambition.
Winter Ridge took just 17 days to film and yet is far better than many thrillers which have hit the big screen in 2018.
There are several reasons why. Firstly, the plot is refreshingly original. Lack of imagination is often a curse of  low budget films but not here.
Secondly, the quality of the acting is very much higher than movies of its ilk.
And, thirdly, its makers have appreciated the need for a dramatic backdrop. In this case, the clifftops of north Devon.
Dom Lenoir's film stars Matt Hookings as a detective who instructs colleagues to release a drunk driver because the local police station's cells are full.

It is a decision which will horribly change his life.
Diverting him from personal tragedy are the mystery sudden deaths of people who have been suffering from dementia.
So, he sets about, often like a bull in a china shop, to try to get to the bottom of any links between the victims.
Both Mrs W and I had difficulty in empathising too much with Hookings' character because he is an an anti-hero who is perpetually angry.
His woe over his wife and his fury at those he believes are responsible cloud some of his judgement but we were won over when he begins to pick up threads which others are missing.
Micheal McKell plays the senior detective who believes his officer is going down the wrong track as elderly folk regularly pop their clogs.
Winter Ridge would not look out of place as an extended TV drama. I am not quite sure it has enough power for big screen presentation (I watched a private preview link on our smart telly) but it demonstrates a lot of potential in the work of Lenoir and his team.

Reasons to watch: Smart storyline and makes the most of its budget
Reasons to avoid: takes a while for the mystery to grip

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7.5/10

Director quote - Dom Lenoir: "Inspector Morse is something I grew up on and it did have a quiet thoughtfulness, I hadn’t thought of it actually but I can see an influence and similarity."

The big question - Is it easier to solve crimes in small communities?

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