Audrey

Audrey is an absolute delight of a film, full of mischief, bad decisions, awful liars and car crash characters that viewers can’t seem to look away from. Taking the stage mum concept and adding over-the-top theatrical references, with plenty of gut-churning dark humour, this directorial debut by Natalie Bailey is a delicious, creative and energetic satirical marvel. Audrey follows a very dysfunctional family of four: a stage mother living vicariously through her daughter, the stereotypical alpha male of a father working in construction, and Audrey’s sister Norah living with cerebral palsy. When Audrey falls from the roof of their house and into a coma, the rest of the family’s lives blossom for the better, rediscovering parts of themselves and growing closer as a family. The moral conundrum of finding happiness and peace in the wake of a family member’s vegetative state is shattered by the fact that every single person within the family, especially Audrey, is horrible.

The centrepiece – literally, because of the constant symmetrical framing of her – is of course the titular character of Audrey, played daringly well by Josephine Blazier. It’s very rare for someone who is the namesake of the film to have so little presence throughout its entire runtime yet still make such an explosive impact. Audrey’s absence and presence are very much the backbone of Bailey’s picture; whether she’s on-screen or off-screen, Blazier’s performance leaves such an imprint on the viewer that makes it easy for her character to haunt the narrative. The production also capitalises on this same balance, with a vibrant and warm filter for the events during Audrey’s coma, and the dull grey hues and emphasis on reds and pinks once Audrey wakes up.

There are a lot of different story beats and the pacing is fast making the film very engaging. But even with all the various subplots and characters to follow – each one of the family members having their own set of struggles and self-awakening journeys – the main crux of Bailey’s feature is this volatile relationship between Audrey and her mother Ronnie played by Jackie van Beek. The toxic push-and-pull dynamic between the two is such a captivating watch. Ronnie, formerly an acclaimed actress herself, now lives a life of misery, trying to live her dreams through Audrey’s success. In the event of the coma, she takes the chance to reclaim her former glory, using Audrey’s name in auditions and acting classes. When her daughter wakes up and the consequences of her lies and deceit start to spiral out of control, Audrey lords her flourishing career and superiority over Ronnie. There’s a very Black Swan sequence in the final act that tests how far these two will go to one-up each other.

Audrey is a fantastic film with a wide array of colourful characters; from Audrey and her cutting femme fatale act, Ronnie and her erratic desperation to once again have that spotlight on herself, Norah whose sharp wit and sarcasm add another layer of fun to the film, and even the side characters of Audrey’s classmates and boyfriend with their fake-deep aesthetics and performative activism – all these different personalities make for an entertaining watch. On top of that, the concept is just so wild and fun with alluring visuals and a very fitting soundtrack.

Mae Trumata

Read more reviews from our London Film Festival coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the London Film Festival website here.

Watch the trailer for Audrey here: