“Down Terrace” (2009) — Read Along

“I feel like a teenage, tantric Superman!”

Apr 26, 2024

**“Down Terrace” (2009)**. Directed by Ben Wheatley. Picture courtesy of and with thanks to **www.ewbankauctions.co.uk**

Can I recommend to you a debut film from 15 years ago that with perfect numerical symmetry and 15 minutes to go you’ll be wondering where on earth the film is leading before 15 minutes later picking your jaw from the floor in utter astonishment?

Wonderful!

Here’s the opening gambit from my spoiler free review I originally penned and published over a decade ago:

How do you sum up “Down Terrace”?

An edgy, very darkly comedic edged crime drama? An 89 minute debut feature that will leave your jaw on the floor in horror, bemusement and appreciation of an astounding film? It certainly did me.

But first, the incredible characters:

“Bill” (Robert Hill) Recently acquitted of an unexplained crime who returns to his domain to continue his shady and purposely vague criminal business. Seemingly the Family Patriarch and a font of all knowledge, he speaks in sound bites, oblique references and has a methodical answer for everything. He has a constant air of being right, of being just and correct, however his duality is quickly established, as is his paranoia and blatant two faced attitude to everyone apart from his devoted wife Maggie. His plain, matter of fact style of speaking grates at first but that should be regarded as a compliment as it blends with the other richly detailed characters he comes into contact with. With jiffy bags of unexplained content, a “Club” constantly referenced but never seen and an air of control over his domain, it’s interesting to note the crumbling surrounds of his home and a key metaphor for the film as a whole.

Describing his spiritual awakening feels deliberately rehearsed and forced, with his son Karl’s reactions matching his “I was a smoker, an artist, a poet”. A heavy drug user combined with an unexplained clear liquid and white tablets (occasionally referenced as “vitamins”) Robert Hill’s performance is sublime, always reinforcing his character’s determination that he is right and his path the right one. A performance that has everything: a stillness, a clear adoration for his wife, unhinged and frightening, ruthless and determined.

It’s a brilliant but shocking portrayal.

“Karl” (Robin Hill) also acquitted with his Father for the unexplained crime. Almost a mirror to his Father, explaining perhaps his painful descent into paranoia and all out aggression. Robin Hill’s performance of calm serenity to nasty, aggressive bully is incredible at times, and always very unnerving. It’s a great compliment that whilst Karl is on screen you simply can’t settle, you’re unnerved by his performance, awaiting his next violent outburst or bemused by his strangely sadistic laugh! His mental anguish is quickly established as he struggles with his “monkey suit”, as is his frightening outburst as he tries to find some prison letters from his girlfriend, and a scene that has to be seen to be believed.

Hill’s portrayal of a man on constant edge, bordering on psychotic and schizophrenic is brilliant. The mirror metaphor to his Father is apt in many ways, except their apparent mental state. Heavy drug use (seen rolling a joint in the opening minutes) and sharing the unexplained “vitamin” drink, Hill’s performance is frightening, unnerving and at times incomprehensible.

“Maggie” (Julia Deakin) The family Matriarch and real head of the household who is seemingly always in the background. The important confidant to husband Bill and despite the chaos and blazing rows surrounding her she seems strong, determined and unflappable. The film’s moral centre, but her unravelling is heart breaking at times (especially when backed by the beautiful violin score of “Scarborough Fair”) and her singing to son Karl to soothe and comfort him is truly heart warming and breaking in equal measure. The smaller of the three main roles, yet Julia Deakin does so much in an accomplished performance.

“Pringle” (Michael Smiley) a strange, quirky and “buzzing” performance from Smiley who as always, is pitch perfect throughout. From broad smiling and comfortable to snarling and hurtful in the blink of an eye, his admonishment of Karl is as frightening as it is simple. Karl, playing innocently with Pringle’s son who is having an absolute ball and loving every minute of the attention but it’s Pringle’s complete about turn from smiling and jolly to outright anger that staggers “Less of that. I don’t mind the kissing and cuddling, but less of the farting noises”. A quick cut but another immediate admonishment, this time dead pan and even more threatening “Just stay where I can see you”. The shared scenes with Karl continue in a similar manner later when again Pringle, now switching from flat out anger to a warm smiling embrace at Karl’s impending Fatherhood couldn’t be happier for him as he proclaims “Hug it up bitch!”.

Hopefully with your interest piqued dear reader, you now have a choice.

You can either:

(a) Read my entire review of “Down Terrace” via the first link below.
(b) Treat yourself to my spoiler free reviews of any and/or all of the first 6 films in the career of British film director Ben Wheatley.
(c) Watch either of my Youtube or Rumble channel videos linked below (@TheBlackfordBookClub) of my reading of my own spoiler free review of the film, hence the “Read Along” moniker.

or (d) Treat yourself to any combination of the above or even (e) disappear to pastures new within our collective electrical Matrix of doom.

Oh, and (f) There’s a link below to Volume 2 of my “Essential Film Reviews Collection” (where you’ll find my complete review of “Down Terrace”) packaged in my e-book and Kindle series on Amazon.

All 7 volumes are FREE to read if you have an Amazon Kindle “Unlimited” package.

Bless you for reading.

"Original Review of "Down Terrace"

"Ben Wheatley and 6 highly recommended British films"

"The Essential Film Reviews Collection" Vol.2