Director: Jeppe Ronde
Cast: Hannah Murray, Josh O’Connor, Patricia Potter, Steve Waddington, Scott Arthur
Running Time: 95 mins
BRIDGEND is a fictional story based on the sadly real-life mystery surrounding the staggering number of suicides by young people in a small area of Wales. We follow Sara and her father as they move to Bridgend to start a new life, but Sara quickly becomes involved in the almost cult-like behaviour of the teens of the town.
The story of Bridgend is a difficult one to even comprehend never mind try to convey on film. Creating a fictional story based on the events seems like the only appropriate way to do so. Bridgend gives no answer as to why nearly 80 teenagers have hanged themselves in the space of six years, but it does briefly go through some of the theories. There are suggestions it could be due to some sort of internet cult, pressure from the growing media and press presence, revenge on neglectful parents, or even just simply teenage boredom.
Sara is rapidly exposed to the bizarre behaviour of the teenagers of Bridgend and quickly becomes part of their group, much to the concern of her policeman father. The whole film has this eerie feeling to it, as if you are watching someone’s nightmare. Certain shots of the Welsh landscape are quite beautiful, but also haunting. There is some disturbing imagery in Bridgend, which may not be to everyone’s tastes, especially since it is based on real events, but this imagery works really well. It creates this nightmarish atmosphere – presumably to match the nightmarish scenario. There’s no other way you could portray the horror of parents finding their children dead and with no reason why.
The strongest aspect of Bridgend is the way it is shot and the directorial decisions made by Jeppe Ronde, he has obviously spent a great deal of time researching this story and clearly cares about it. This film will not leave you feeling happy, it will leave you feeling disturbed. There is still no explanation for these suicides, so there would be no real way of making a happy ending for Bridgend. The film succeeds in creating a thick and tense atmosphere, bleak and grey surroundings, and an general sense of dread. It is very difficult to be able to pull this off, but Bridgend manages to.
The acting is fine, there are no stand-out performances but certainly no bad ones. Most of the roles seem physically demanding, so you can appreciate the actors here. They certainly made the environment seem real – they did not feel like actors acting in a movie at many points.
Overall, Bridgend is a very difficult film to watch but it is a well crafted film. It should be appreciated for these reasons. The scenery, the score, and the structure of the plot all contribute to this film’s lasting impact.
Verdict
