Refreshingly ambitious for a debut British feature, Franklyn is an urban fairytale which successfully marries inventive storytelling with a keen visual sense. Set between contemporary London, and the futuristic religion-dominated Meanwhile City, the film traces the fates of four characters: Jonathan Preest, an atheist vigilante who has vowed revenge on Meanwhile City’s leader; Emilia, a privileged young artist whose difficult relationship with her mother fuels her cynicism and depression; Milo, a sensitive young man whose heart has been recently broken; and Peter, a deeply religious man who has come to London in search of his missing son, a troubled Gulf War veteran.
Deftly moving the narrative between the worlds of the ‘real’ and the ‘imaginary’ allows writer-director Gerald McMorrow full reign to explore the relationship between love, fantasy and faith. The latest in a long history of director-led films from notable producer Jeremy Thomas, Franklyn is also very much a London film, making bold, original use of its metropolitan locations.

Sandra Hebron