The Brook, premiering at FrightFest, has huge potential beyond its 93 min runtime; it’s a place we want to return to as the credits roll, and a place where further mysteries await exploration.
In 1992, a Durham photographer captured a photograph that once more played into an age-old debate in North East England. The photo showed a large cat-like animal carrying a rabbit in its mouth. Could this be the infamous Durham Puma, of which there have been numerous sightings over the years? It’s highly debatable, but there is no doubt the legend of the Durham Puma plays heavily into Paul Stainthorpe’s delightful first blood premiere at this year’s FrightFest. Cinerama has long supported the first blood category at FrightFest, where new filmmakers can bring their films to a supportive FrightFest audience, and we can explore the exciting new talent that makes British filmmaking so strong.
Supported by Creative Scotland, The Brook is, in essence, a mix of small-town mystery, serial-killer thriller, teen horror, coming-of-age journey, and science fiction. In the wrong hands, this mix of themes can become muddled, but in the right hands – take, for example, Michael Patrick Clarkson and Paul Clarkson’s sublime BBC Three series Red Rose – it’s a mix that can provide enthralling, engaging and unique storytelling. The Brook, despite its low budget and a few loose ends it never manages to tie up, thankfully carries all the atmosphere of Red Rose, even if it never reaches the same heights due to its budget constraints.
Elmbrook, a small fictional rural town in County Durham, is the kind of place you never leave. We all know at least one of these towns. If you were born there, it has a habit of imprisoning you, and if you move there, its quietness and isolation soon wrap you in its arms and don’t let you go. For art student Jacob (Connor Lawson), Elmbrook is where his grandad lived his whole life and the town his mother called home until she escaped before he was born.
But now, on the death of his grandad, he and his mum have returned, and for Jacob, it’s beginning to feel like that return is far from being temporary. The loss of his grandad isn’t the only grief that continues to burn; Jacob lost his father too, and things haven’t been the same since, so maybe Elmbrook is the change he and his mum need, or maybe it’s a town full of ghosts they should both run from before it’s too late.
As college starts, Jacob attempts to find his place in this strange village of whispered folklore – a puma apparently stalks the town – and even stranger disappearances the townsfolk seem to take in their stride. His art class offers the opportunity to make new friends: Alex (Ainsley Fannon) and Megan (Jamie-Lee Price), develop a new crush on Erin (Helen Chong), and unlock new enemies, Callum (Dan Salmon). But things are about to get really weird when Jacob finds an old JVC camcorder in his grandad’s attic, one that, without any battery or tape, appears to show events from the past. As disappearances mount and the older village folk, including his mum (Jill Dellow), his teacher (Rhiannon Jones) and the mysterious Linda (Meryl Griffiths), look the other way, Jacob turns to the camcorder for answers.
High on ambition, Paul Stainthorpe’s The Brook at times struggles to allow the time and space needed to explore many of the themes it raises. For example, themes of grief, while present, never quite find the voice they deserve, and the final act feels slightly rushed in bringing the mystery to a satisfying conclusion. However, these weaknesses are surpassed by the boundless creativity, performances, and atmosphere; the proudly North East England focus; James Alexander’s cinematography; and a soundtrack that perfectly matches the eerie atmosphere Stainthorpe conjures.
Co-written with Chris Watt, The Brook has huge potential beyond its 93 min runtime; it’s a place we want to return to as the credits roll, and a place where further mysteries await exploration. With an exemplary cast and an ambitious creative footprint, The Brook is a smart, atmospheric and engaging first feature for Stainthorpe, and I will eagerly be watching what comes next for the creative team and cast who brought it to life.
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