Immaterial

Alexandra Healy’s Immaterial is a bleak short that takes a look at cycles of grief and addiction. A strong leading performance guarantees viewer investment, but clunky dialogue and lack of conclusion will make the harrowing watch a difficult one for some.

Naomi (Holly Higbee) lives a lonely existence on a London council estate. As her mother battles a serious illness, Naomi battles a drug addiction that prevents her from being by her side. Unrequited longing for ex-girlfriend Lily (Verona Rose) leads her to selling herself for drugs to Jack (Samuel Greco), and old traumas start to spill out as she hits rock bottom.

Immaterial’s presentation of trauma cycles that inextricably link to poverty is a powerful mirror to endless true stories that push people to the brink. It cleverly links Naomi’s battles to demonstrate how impossible it can be to escape from destructive patterns. Her drug abuse prevents her being close to her ill mother, which in turn pushes her towards toxic people, which could have been prevented were she not distant from her religion due to her sexuality. A powerful throughline of important people being removed from her life ties isolation into these factors also – and a late revelation shows how malicious individuals have used this to destroy her self-worth from years before. It shows that those struggling with addiction rarely end up in the battle without reasons outside of their control.

The story structure is strong; yet the delivery is lacking in finesse. Holly Higbee’s performance is moving and vulnerable, packed with nuance and silent indicators of defeat. However, even she struggles in moments with the script, which demands lines of blunt exposition be handling gracefully in a manner which feels impossible. Lines of vulgarity also feel forced, as though they have been included to emphasise Naomi’s working-class credentials or provide a semblance of grit and edge. Instead, they land awkwardly and feel included for their own sake. The movie is at its best when it is tender and understated, allowing silence or words unsaid to stand out amidst the dialogue.

Audiences looking for an uplift from the film or lesson to be learned from the anguish of Naomi’s story will also be left longing. An authentic portrayal of poverty cycles would include many a story without a happy ending, granted. But this film’s depressing journey for its protagonist borders on nihilism, offering little in the way of light or salvation. A 15-minute story of a woman being met by closed doors, manipulators and a descent into darkness was never going to be a barrel of laughs, but viewers will expect a greater meaning or purpose behind such a feature. It’s not immediately obvious what this is beyond evidencing the factors that come into play that derail lives. It’s a story told many a time, but a deeper layer is really required to make such an experience tolerable or insightful. The lack of this in Immaterial means audiences will come away questioning how they are really meant to process the film’s events.

There is undoubtable power in Immaterial, stemming from Holly Higbee’s strong showing and Alexandra Healy’s talent at direction which forms a strong bond between viewer and protagonist. More refined dialogue and a grander purpose to Naomi’s story would have allowed this short to truly thrive, and without it instead it feels deeply cynical and pessimistic – without the depth necessary to make such a story sufficiently perceptive.