On the Sea

On the Sea is a film of quiet tumult, filmed in a world seemingly without sunlight or laughter. The north Wales fishing town that the characters cling to is on its last legs, the seas gutted by the dredgers that have left Jack (Barry Ward)'s family fishing business hanging by a thread. His son (Henry Lawfull) is acting up, and there is tension with his brother over business. Into this situation steps Daniel (Lorne MacFadyen), who threatens to unleash decades of repression that could upend Jack’s existence.

If you’re thinking, ‘I’ve seen that before’, you have, and probably a few times: we are in tragic queer romance by numbers territory. This is not necessarily a problem; this narrative has become a staple because it’s open to different filmmakers' interpretations and stylistic directions. The issue with On the Sea is that it doesn't really commit to the one it chooses. 

The film swings for solemn and understated, all beautifully filmed sea-speckled stone and forlorn glances, but it doesn’t seem to trust its audience enough to actually leave anything unsaid, too often making painfully clear things a better film would allow to sit. This means On the Sea plods on largely devoid of tension or mystery, unimaginatively hitting a list of clichés as it drags towards its conclusion. You’re left with a well-acted film that sticks too close to a tired playbook to ever become anything of its own, just glowering away in its own self-seriousness, coasting on the implied severity of its dour aesthetic. 

Released 24 Jul by Verve; certificate 15