‘Burn Burn Burn’ review: “A most wonderful little gem.”

Burn Burn Burn review: Looking for something tiny and powerful in a sea of horror and big budgets? This could be the film for you.

Burn Burn Burn review, Luke Ryan Baldock.

Let’s face facts, the British film industry is in a state where perhaps quotation marks need to be put around it. Despite hosting many big Hollywood projects, British films tend to be small in scale and budget, and that’s before the question of quality comes into the frame. With that said, it’s always heartening to see a little indie gem make an impact, and Burn Burn Burn, is exactly one of those films. It may rival this year’s excellent Captain Fantastic, in terms of road trip structure following the death of a loved one, with many quirky goings on along the way, but Chanya Button’s feature length debut is a smart and emotional powerhouse for the majority of its runtime.

Seph (Laura Carmichael) and Alex (Chloe Pirrie) attend the funeral of their close friend Dan (Jack Farthing). At his funeral they are shown a video of Dan and given the task of following a map and scattering his ashes at different locations across the country. Upon arriving at said locations, Seph and Alex must also watch a video in which Dan explains the significance of each spot. Meanwhile, Seph is dealing with her own uncertainties regarding her relationship with James (Joe Dempsie), and Alex is getting over a painful break-up after walking in on her girlfriend cheating on her. The journey becomes a path of mental and emotional discovery for the pair as they come across a series of offbeat events.

The episodic roadtrip nature of the narrative is both the film’s strength and weakness. It represents the girl’s emotional journey and prevents the film from becoming stagnant. It also allows for bigger British stars (mostly of the national treasure TV variety) to insert themselves into memorable small roles. Nigel Planer and Jane Asher bring a subtle coldness to Dan’s parents, Sally Phillips plays Seph’s cluelessly cruel boss, and Matthew Kelly plays an aspiring thespian and AirBnB host. The pace moves along briskly, but also pauses for moments of comedy, or heightened drama. As with many road trip movies however, there is also sometimes a lack of cohesion moving forward, and although each section plays out well independently, it can seem to stall when transitions are first made.

Keeping it all together though is both Charlie Covell’s impressive screenplay that marries events to the life of our protagonists, and the performances of Carmichael and Pirrie. Pirrie especially stands out as she keeps her cards close to her chest, before unleashing some incredible waterworks that feel earned and poignant, rather than forced and manipulative. Carmichael’s performance is also one of conflicting emotions, standing up for her friend who has been cheated on, while also flirting with temptation. Despite Alex’s cries of hypocrisy, Carmichael gets to the core of Seph’s insecurities and rationale.

Beautifully shot and with a dry sense of humour that usually hits the mark, Burn Burn Burn is very British in tone, with dark themes explored through humour. Powerful, subtle, and rich, it shows a lot of promise from all involved. It’s restraint and a couple of less impactful diversions, add charm but also decrease the volume to a whisper at times. Like the characters themselves though, it feels as though the film is learning and discovering what it really is before finally coming together towards the climax. A most wonderful little gem.

Burn Burn Burn review by Luke Ryan Baldock, October 2016.

Burn Burn Burn is released 28th October.