Bubble

During the COVID-19 lockdown, a woman begins an online relationship with a man, while her mental health deteriorates.

The coronavirus pandemic has begun and Leah (Daly), a young woman, is staying in her home, where she lives by herself. During the lockdown, she met a man named Luke (George) through social media and the two of them talk regularly online. Initially, they like each other and they discuss a presentation that Leah is working on. However, as time goes by, and the social distancing rules are relaxed, Luke becomes frustrated with Leah's reluctance to meet him in person and she becomes distressed by the long-term isolation that she goes through.

This short psychological drama shows the COVID-19 lockdown through the eyes of a woman, who has recently experienced a very personal loss. She tries to keep things steady, work on her presentation and maintain a good rapport with the man she met online. Eventually, the long duration of the lockdown, along with Luke's behaviour take their toll on Leah. The screenplay effectively explores the negative effects that isolation has on a Leah and the relationship between her and Luke, which goes from decent to unstable. There is a great deal of drama and distressing moments and there is a fantasy scene that involves self-pleasure, which some viewers might find uncomfortable to watch.

Daly delivers a very strong and emotional performance, as an individual who begins to crumble under the pressures of lockdown, grief and Luke. Initially, George's character comes across as likeable and friendly and as time goes by, he sort of becomes an antagonist, swearing a lot and pressuring Leah into meeting him face to face and being unconcerned about the dangers of the virus.

A lot of the action is seen through the webcams that the two protagonists use to see each other and occasionally there are moments where the screen flickers, creating unsettling feelings. Mark Holownia does wonderful job with the cinematography and commendations also go to Mac Nixon and Luke Andrews for their work on the editing. The music that is provided by Sion Trefor is tense and dramatic and it helps enormously in developing strong emotions.

On the surface, this film is about the COVID-19 pandemic, however, it is more than that. It is a character study that focuses on a grieving woman, whose life's stability is put to the test by lockdown and an ignorant man. Partially, it is also a romance and a look into online dating and social media.