Treacle Jr. review

A yin-yang friendship forms the base of Jamie Thraves' warm drama

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A mesmerising opener sees family man Tom (Tom Fisher) inexplicably up sticks from suburban Birmingham to pursue a life on London’s mean streets.

Into his solitary world crashes motormouth man-child Aidan (Aidan Gillen), who’s as buoyant as Tom is troubled.

If writer/director Jamie Thraves overdoses on ambiguity – Tom’s motivations are left unexplained to an extent that distracts rather than intrigues – the yin-yang central dynamic crackles with heart and humour.

Gillen’s manic turn is the attention grabber, but Fisher’s quietly wounded man-on-the verge is a solid anchor.

Writer

Emma Didbin is a writer and journalist who has contributed to GamesRadar+, The New York Times, Elle, Esquire, The Hollywood Reporter, Vulture, and more. Emma can currently be found in Los Angeles where she is pursuing a career in TV writing. Emma has also penned two novels, and somehow finds the time to write scripts for Parcast – the Spotify-owned network that creates thrilling true crime and mystery podcasts.