Inland

Somewhere between a folk horror and kitchen sink drama, writer-director Fridtjof Ryder packs a lot of ideas into his feature debut Inland. Mark Rylance’s shining stint in a supporting role gives the script a sense of much-needed humanity, however, this indie outing never manages to connect its collection of ideas to deliver on its ambition.

The plot follows an unnamed man (Rory Alexander) as he’s released from a psychiatric hospital. With nowhere else to go, he turns to Dunleavy (Rylance), an old family friend who lets him sleep on his couch. It’s here we learn about the man’s past, namely, his mother mysteriously disappeared some years ago. Dunleavy gives the protagonist a job at a garage, and a night out with his co-workers takes him to a bar that looks like Twin Peaks’s Red Room merged with The Korova Milkbar, where he meets a sex worker who reminds him of his mother.

Throughout the rest of the film, a selection of encounters and dreamlike sequences allude to the protagonist’s life before he was institutionalised, alongside dropping some hints about what could have happened to his mother. Compelling visuals and some unsettling sound design form an engrossing atmosphere, which sucks viewers into this surrealist take on rural England. Inland’s world is an isolated one, cut off by the forest that surrounds the area.

Rylance is easily the standout of the film. His grizzled yet kind-hearted character is the anchor, which tries to keep the protagonist grounded as their situation grows stranger. Alexander, too, gives a commendable performance in the leading role. Both actors play well off each other and exude a natural likeability during each of their interactions. The pair could have carried the film on their acting merits alone. It’s somewhat disappointing, then, that Rylance is criminally underused.

As grand and Freudian as Ryder’s debut gets, the filmmaker is unable to successfully weave its elements together into a cohesive whole. Consequently, Inland becomes a disjointed character study, which aimlessly meanders from scene to scene until it concludes on an unremarkable finale.

Despite some striking visuals, alongside an outstanding performance from Rylance, Ryder’s bold vision nevertheless feels underdeveloped.

Andrew Murray

Inland is released in select cinemas on 16^th June 2023.

Watch the trailer for Inland here: