Written and directed by Sarah Galea-Davis, in 1994, young Emily joins an avant-garde theater cast. Drawn to her castmates’ bohemian world and feeling like family, she gets entangled in the group’s complicated power dynamics. Starring: Stefani Kimber, Eric Johnson, Jess Salgueiro and Vanessa Smythe.
Firstly, credit where credit is due, Sarah Galea-Davis has taken what is an extremely complicated issue which has impacted the careers and wellbeing of countless women and captured it in a genuine, honest way, that’s no small feat. Especially when you’re portraying it from such a young perspective, which is something Galea-Davis does exceptionally well. You can feel that atmosphere of youth and naivety, the second you dive into The Players. Creating that air of sincerity and vulnerability and making it about Emily’s (Stefani Kimber) journey, while exploring the larger issues is a tricky balance to get right, so that in itself is impressive.
The style as a whole is well done, there’s an artistic edge to the direction, Galea-Davis brings through that theatre setting into the style of The Players. There’s also something very nostalgic to its palette and movement, very befitting of its 1990s setting. The air of power dynamics comes through strongly, it has a slightly disturbing edge at times which captures the pressures and manipulation. However, it can move quite slowly and take a few tangents. The progression feels very middle heavy, only giving a brief couple of scenes to its resolution after such a prolonged journey isn’t entirely satisfying. It’s a shame to not see it have more of a resounding ending given that it is exploring empowerment and self-worth.
Although, one element which comes in exceptionally strong is the naivety brought to life by Stefani Kimber. It can be uncomfortable to watch and almost overwhelming at times, which feels inherently realistic. Kimber portrays the different sides to this journey well, the desire to succeed, desperation, vulnerability, innocence, self-doubt and the devastation. She can lean a touch too hard on the precocious side at times, but it does feel appropriate for her character.
Eric Johnson was an excellent choice to really grasp that controlling, coercive presence. He captures that mix of creative talent with abusive behaviour, and how those to can be used as excuses for one another. He’s a forceful spirit with searing eye contact that’s nicely intense. While Jess Salgueiro and Vanessa Smythe’s characters highlight the real crux of this story which is the influence of other women.
The different interactions that Emily has with the women of The Players shows the absolute necessity for women to support one another and how important it is to speak out. Especially how devious and cold it is when women, especially young, inexperienced ones, are gaslighted by other women into not trusting their own instincts. We’re only just entering an era where women are no longer encouraged to ignore abusive behaviour for the sake of their careers. It’s something that needs to be explored more with stories like this to cement that we must continue to progress and not revert to those ways, which can be utterly soul-destroying for women.
The Players is a poignant, tense and distressing exploration of power dynamics, manipulation and coercion. It can be slightly overwhelming at times and creates a very strong atmosphere of naivety and vulnerability. There’s a terrific cast at work and the directorial style is confident and purposeful. It simply struggles to keep the momentum going and gets caught up in adding to the layers of frustration and manipulation so much that it doesn’t leave enough time for the character to explore the aftermath and come to a resounding conclusion.
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