A Night Like This
Two men embark on a nighttime odyssey of self-discovery and connection after a chance meeting in director Liam Calvert’s debut film A Night Like This. Lukas (Jack Brett Anderson) is a quiet and reserved aspiring actor whereas Oliver (Alexander Lincoln) is loud, cocky and borderline obnoxious club owner with dreams of becoming a musician. Despite their glaring differences, both strangers are struggling with their own issues. Sensing their mutual need for companionship, they decide to spend the rest of the night walking the freezing December London streets together. Philosophising over pints and getting into some trouble along the way, Calvert’s film delivers a heartfelt tale of friendship.
Anderson and Lincoln are fantastic. Although Oliver’s excessive bravado initially marks the character as unlikeable enough for viewers to question why Lukas would willingly agree to spend more time with him, Lincoln’s charm gradually begins to shine through as Oliver starts to open up. Similarly, Lukas lowers his defences as he warms up to his new companion. It’s in these moments of vulnerability where the film is at its best. Not only do these scenes allow the leads to explore the full range of their performances, but they’re where Diego Scerrati’s screenplay thoughtfully touches upon grand existential issues of life, love, intimacy, and if any of it matters.
More is unveiled about the pair’s problems as the night goes on, with their new-found friendship occasionally veering from platonic to something more romantic. As sweet as it is watching a stolen kiss at a silent disco or seeing them engage in some awkward flirting, that kind of spark doesn’t exist between the leads, with these scenes ultimately undermining the story of connection that the film is trying to tell.
The dozens of experiences and encounters the pair have throughout their nighttime adventure don’t come together neatly by the time the sun rises, and that’s the point. Calvert’s debut embraces life’s chaos and imperfections to tell a moving story of human connection. There is the occasional misstep along the way, but the stellar performances from Anderson and Lincoln effortlessly sweep viewers up in their life-changing night.
Andrew Murray
A Night Like This does not have a release date yet.
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