Written and directed by Joshua Armstrong, co-written by Alex Arnold and Michael Southgate, who both star in the film. Oliver, a man plagued by his past and crippling drug addiction, struggles to recall an unbelievable set of events during a police interrogation. Also starring: Emily Tucker, Kaysha Woollery, Matt Ray Brown and Sam Terry.

You’re hit immediately with the quality of Apocryphal’s visual, it’s strong and sharp, and is consistent throughout. It gets a good grasp on the gritty side to this story, with the cinematography (by Paul Cook) giving things a darker, slightly seedy and melancholy edge. It matches extremely well with the theme of addiction which takes the lead in this story. There’s a good presence which gets a nice hold on the audience, building your sympathy as well as keeping you on the hook for what turns it may have in store.

The story itself has its ups and downs, partially depending on how you view this story, whether you take it as is or see it as a larger metaphor. Exploring addiction means that the different elements of this story, particularly its ending, could be viewed as a representation of the catastrophic impact which the disease has on peoples’ lives. The other side of that coin is simply taking it as a mystery with a touch of horror or sci-fi. The argument for which of those is more valuable is completely open to interpretation, so it will likely create a different experience for each viewer.

However, it does tend to move on the slow side and comes in somewhat long at just under thirty five minutes. Unfortunately those choices do undermine the impact of its ending, having taken a very gradual road to get there, and leaving a lot to the last scenes. Its final note is also a strange one, ending things in a negative light with an almost fatalist viewpoint, which was an unusual choice.

The performances from the leading trio of Michael Southgate, Alex Arnold and Emily Tucker are all strong. It’s easy for portrayals like this to slip into over-dramatic or forced territory, struggling to capture a harsher reality but these three do well with that challenge. Southgate is the heart of the trio but as time moves forward, Tucker unravels some intriguing layers to her character. It’s a shame we don’t get to see more from Kaysha Woollery as she makes for a great detective, providing the right balance understanding and limited patience.

Apocryphal is both a familiar and unusual exploration of addiction. It takes a few unexpected roads which will work better for some viewers than others and can move a touch too slowly. However, it has an interesting concept and is shot well throughout, doing a great job of creating a strong atmosphere and is filled with strong performances.

Verdict: ✯✯✯ | 6/10