Down Terrace, Ben Wheatley’s directional debut, sets a high standard for low-budget independent British cinema

Patriarchs of a small crime family, father and son Bill and Karl have just been released from jail, but all is not well on Down Terrace. Their business is plagued with infighting – Karl is sick of his old man’s philosophizing and preaching, and Bill thinks Karl’s dedication to the family is compromised by an estranged girlfriend. To make matters worse, there’s an unidentified informant in their midst who could send them all to prison for a very long time.

Down Terrace tells the story of Bill and Karl, father and son respectively, and organised criminals. After having spent a few days behind bars, Bill and Karl return home and attempt to identify the person responsible for their arrest. Set almost entirely in Bill and Karl’s home, the film deals with their dysfunctional family dynamic and the criminal lifestyle which infringes on their seemingly quiet life.

Down Terrace is Ben Wheatley’s directional debut, and whilst some of the budgetary constraints are evident at times, Wheatley showcases his visceral take on violence and his introspective approach to criminal life. He shows the mundane and ordinary as well as the brutal and violent behavior of criminals. They are vulnerable, and at times compassionate, attributes which add a layer of complexity to their characterization and make them all the more refreshing to watch.

Bill constantly bullies and berates his son, bringing him down at every turn and refusing to allow him to be his own man. Despite the fact we never see Bill inflict any physical violence on anyone, he is very much the villain of the film. Upon returning home from prison, Karl reconnects with an old girlfriend whom he learns is pregnant with his child. Bill is incredibly irritated by this revelation and attempts to turn Karl against her. Emotions begin to run high as they begin meeting with their criminal associates, leading Karl’s temperament to become more erratic as he attempts to curb his father’s coercion against his girlfriend.

Down Terrace is a very dark film. The family tries to act in a civilized manner, and the father even delivers a monologue contesting his inadvertent arrival into criminal activity. However, the criminal underworld is all consuming, and even the seemingly innocent housewife, portrayed brilliantly by Julia Deaken, hides a dark malevolence. Given the inexperienced cast, the performances are very good. Michael Smiley gave a particularly enjoyable performance as an awkward hit-man. I’d also like to give a notable mention to Tony Way who portrays the closest thing to a moral character in the film.

Whilst the pacing of the film is incredibly slow, the sudden violence that occasionally erupts and tautens the tension, bringing pain and death to Bill’s home, keeps the audiences attention. Down Terrace does suffer due to the inexperience of the crew. The camera chases the actors around the house, peers in through cracks in the door and violently shakes about at times. These tools should evoke the feeling of a documentary to the chaos, but instead, unfortunately, add an amateurish quality. However, Wheatley was restrained by limited finances and time, and managed to to shoot the film in only nine days on a shoe-string budget. There is a sense of urgency in the film which sometimes adds an element of drama, and at other times detracts from it.

Down Terrace is an intriguing story about an unusual family caught up in the world of crime, drugs and murder. Whilst the characters show signs of complexity, the simple tale never truly gains momentum to explore interesting new avenues. That being said, there is a charm in this low-budget British drama that makes up for any shortcomings it may have concerning its small scale. The film was never intended to be grandiose or ambitious, rather it provided a stomping ground for the crew to refine skills for future excursions. Wheatley’s later films such as Kill List and Sightseers would show the same sense of dread and off-beat humor, but with a more pronounced execution. Still, for fans of British crime drama, you could do a lot worse.

Warning: Illegal string offset 'Movie' in /home/themov15/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-review-pro/includes/functions.php on line 2358