Treacle Jr. review

A yin-yang friendship forms the base of Jamie Thraves' warm drama

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A mesmerising opener sees family man Tom (Tom Fisher) inexplicably up sticks from suburban Birmingham to pursue a life on London’s mean streets.

Into his solitary world crashes motormouth man-child Aidan (Aidan Gillen), who’s as buoyant as Tom is troubled.

If writer/director Jamie Thraves overdoses on ambiguity – Tom’s motivations are left unexplained to an extent that distracts rather than intrigues – the yin-yang central dynamic crackles with heart and humour.

Gillen’s manic turn is the attention grabber, but Fisher’s quietly wounded man-on-the verge is a solid anchor.

Writer

Emma Didbin is a writer and journalist who has contributed to 12DOVE, The New York Times, Elle, Esquire, The Hollywood Reporter, Vulture, and more. Emma can currently be found in Los Angeles where she is pursuing a career in TV writing. Emma has also penned two novels, and somehow finds the time to write scripts for Parcast – the Spotify-owned network that creates thrilling true crime and mystery podcasts.