Written and directed by Abraham Adeyemi, it’s Wednesday night in South London, Fatimah and Leon are coming to what should be the end of a good evening at a pop-up restaurant, except neither quite seems ready for the night to end. So, they hop around from place to place, meandering through a night they wish could last forever, if only to avoid the inevitable conversation that awaits them. Starring: Sope Dirisu and Deborah Ayorinde.

It’s easy to be immediately drawn in by the quality to Femi Awojide’s cinematography. It does a brilliant job of capturing a suaveness and seductiveness, the texture and colouring are especially inviting. That’s then matched by Abraham Adeyemi’s direction, there’s a great movement and flow to Chasing the Night. Adeyemi opens up with an initial flirtation with the audience before unveiling the layers to this story. You can quickly feel the history between these two characters, the complicated nature to their relationship and friendship.

That’s one of the aspects which Adeyemi achieves extremely well, establishing the complexity of their connection. Communicating a much larger story while barely having to tell any of it at all and it can focus on being in that moment. The writing does a great job of giving the night its ups and downs and making the littlest changes which alter the entire mood, letting those lingering issues work their way through the cracks. Adeyemi portrays how complicated relationships can be, and how tricky it is to hold onto a strong connection with someone while your lives change.

All of the strengths of the story and atmosphere are elevated by the performances from Sope Dirisu and Deborah Ayorinde. To start with, their chemistry is undeniable, they’d be a really fun duo to watch in a rom-com as there’s so much more left on the table to explore between these two. The ebbs and flows between flirtation, tension and just a dab of resentment are compelling to watch. Dirisu brings more of a laidback charm to Leon while Ayorinde brings a conflict and hesitancy to Fatimah. They both do absolute justice to the complex nature of the relationship between their characters.

One of the other questions that Chasing the Night raises is why don’t we see more characters like Leon and Fatimah? That is to say people who are young, British, Black and successful. It’s rare to find an example which isn’t draped in some form of trauma, poverty, crime or politics. You’re more likely to find one of superpowers or spies than everyday characters. Although it feels as though Rye Lane did create a turning point to push things in the right direction and we can only hope more Black-led British projects will follow in its wake.

Chasing the Night is a strong portrait of the very complicated nature of changing relationships, moving forward but staying connected. It’s shot beautifully and leans into the London vibe without hitting the stereotypical notes, which is always refreshing to see. Sope Dirisu and Deborah Ayorinde are both superb and you could certainly spend a lot more time with them than a dozen minutes. Abraham Adeyemi packs a lot into those minutes, creating a layered, charming and engaging story.

Verdict: ✯✯✯✯ | 8/10

Make your own verdict by watching Chasing the Night below!