Directed by Stephen Gallacher and written by Phil Pearson, a suicidal Northern, working class man dives headfirst into a lost weekend of self-destruction under the bright lights of Blackpool, before finding salvation lies within and at the hands of a six-foot parrot. Starring: Andrew Ellis, George Bukhari, Sammy Winward, Daisy Doris May, Olly Chebrika, Louis Briggs, David Bresnahan and Jamie Shelton.
If tourist videos were actually honest, rather than adding a shiny, rosy lens and going for the dosh, you might end up with something like Blackpool. Stephen Gallacher and Phil Pearson do a perfect job of capturing the multitudes of the Lancashire coast. Portraying how it can vastly range from fun and picturesque to depressing and bleak, and especially how visiting as a child can add an adoring lens to blur out all the faults. Gallacher uses that theme cleverly in his direction, creating a massive contrast between the lad-ish, fourth wall breaking, banter about all Blackpool has to offer and an emotional look at the fragility of mental health.
They’re two very different styles but they work together surprisingly well. Especially with the help of the editing from Stewart Allen-Smith, allowing the two to flow together in a very natural manner. Gallacher also brings through that home-movie touch, which adds a nicely nostalgic edge, elevating the charm further. They also go the extra step to fully embrace the North with their casting choices, adding in not one but two Emmerdale alums in Sammy Winward and Jamie Shelton. It is something British cinema still sorely needs, to keep pushing outside of London, particularly to the North, to capture different everyday existences, experiences and personalities.
That switch between those two styles puts a particular weight upon Andrew Ellis’ performance. He’s having to move between a playfulness and a depression, but Ellis certainly has the range to make it work, impressively so. The fact that he can at one moment be very performative and at another vulnerable, yet the character never feels fractured, is undoubtedly an achievement. Blackpool definitely provided a great vehicle for Ellis to show he has even more to offer than we’ve seen of him so far, and that he can hold his own in a leading role. The rest of the ensemble are a great bunch, particularly in adding to the comedic side of things.
Blackpool creates an unusual mix of mental health struggles and throwing back to childhood holidays, exploring both life’s disappointments and its little pleasures. The blend of styles and balance of different tones is achieved really well. Along with Gallacher’s directorial style, cinematographer Jenni Suitiala definitely aids in that back and forth of tones, giving the emotional scenes a touch more texture and intimacy. Ellis gives a strong and touching leading performance. It’s classically British in that it can be bleak in one moment and cracking a joke in the next, and bonus points to Pearson for throwing in a great pun.
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