Dark reflection in 16th Century England and a potent social comment on the current status quo regarding domestic violence and immigration concerns forms the basis of the rural British drama LAPWING.

Hannah Douglas (CLOWNFACE) plays mute woman Patience, who is living in a troubled and conflicted community, thrown into chaos by the arrival of gypsies amidst the passing of the Egyptian Act in 1555 England, which prompts execution of gypsies which are discovered to be still living amidst English communities who haven’t left the country.

Her overbearing, bullying and controlling brother-in-law, David (Emmett J Scanlon, PEAKY BLINDERS, in a powerful performance) agrees to keep the gypsies on site for a month until a ship arrives to extract them, but Patience has found solace in one of the outsiders, Rumi (Sebastian De Souza, SKINS). David’s inherent rage and jealousy of Patience, whose condition affects her response to his actions, becomes more reflective and determined to try and overcome her emotional concerns….

Philip Stevens directs an intriguing reflection on recent social attitudes from first-time screenwriter Laura Turner, with some very shocking moments of sexual violence that are sensitively handled in a non-gratuitous way and bring home the emotional effects of rape in much the same way THE ACCUSED did when it won Jodie Foster her first Oscar as Sarah Tobias.

Douglas is superb in the lead role, offering up a valid performance that in these post #TimesUp and #MeToo re-assessments and male-female relationships, does provide a hugely emotional catharsis for victims. Another strength of this film, shot on the Lincolnshire coastline, is some excellent atmospheric cinematography by Stewart MacGregor.

A solid British indie entry.

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