Frightfest 2016: ‘Broken’ Review

Broken review: Dramatically bleak, this film has a dark vein of anguish pumping through its heart.

Broken review by Kat Hughes, Frightfest 2016.

Young woman Evie (Morjana Alaoui) works as a sole carer for John (Mel Raido), a former rock star whose career was cut short after an accident left him a tetraplegic. He isn’t adjusting well to his new circumstances and it’s Evie that is the recipient of the bulk of his anger. At the end of her tether Evie pleads to be moved onto another patient, but when the couple of days she’s told that she can swap after becomes much longer, she slowly starts to lose her grasp on her sanity.

Broken is an interesting psychological thriller that casts a spotlight on the care industry. Some may read the film as the dangers of leaving a loved one in the charge of a stranger. It’s so easy to blame the care-worker when things go wrong, but it’s an industry that is struggling and many workers aren’t given the training and support that they need. Granted, in Broken the events are very extreme, but its important to note that Evie is struggling just as much as John and yet she still tries to care for him. Even when she realises that she’s not the right fit for him she still perseveres to her own detriment. Evie’s problem, like many carers, is that she cares too much.

This is a film all about the acting. Were the actors cast to have not been right then the whole tone and feel would be off. Thankfully Shaun Robert Smith cast wisely as both Raido and Alaoui give powerhouse performances. Each inhabits their character so completely that you feel almost as though you’re watching something that you shouldn’t. It’s as if somehow you’ve become a voyeur in a stranger’s house, you completely forget that you’re watching a film – it’s that immersive.

It also isn’t just the performances of the leads that are strong, the supporting players also do their part. Craig Conway, who also serves as writer, is great as Dougie, John’s friend from his former glory days. Dougie too has been broken and thanks to John’s accident his life has also changed dramatically. There are some horribly tense moments between Dougie and Evie with both actors.

Our narrative is compelling and has the viewer continually trying to figure out where things will go next. There’s no clear-cut hero or villain, victim or tormentor, which in many ways mirrors real life. We all have our good and bad traits and Broken seeks to explore these weaknesses and does so with finesse. It is an exceptionally tightly written story.

Dramatically bleak, this film has a dark vein of anguish pumping through its heart. The horror in Broken comes from the tragedies that have befallen our group. The film is strongest in the quiet scenes between Evie and John. Both characters are truly broken, John in body, Evie in mind. You can’t help but think that if they just worked together that they’d both be better for it. Sadly this is a Frightfest film and things don’t get better, they just get worse.

Given the claustrophobic setting within just the one house, and very occasionally the back garden, it really does start to feel like the walls are closing in. As events spiral the house seems to get smaller and smaller, and as cabin fever starts to kick in you can’t help but feel as trapped as John and Evie.

With a strong narrative and engaging characters, Broken offers a lot of food for thought. A bleak tale told in a claustrophobic setting, this is a bold and powerful film that keeps the ‘horror’ grounded in the real.

Broken forms part of this year’s Frightfest programme.