Soundproof

Following a murder, a woman and her children go on the run and are pursued by a dangerous man.

Jo (Rich) is in an abusive relationship with an aggressive man and she is the mother to two teenagers: Izzy (Bindman) and Dylan (Gabe Robinson). One night, her partner is vicious towards her and Izzy intervenes, resulting in his death. Jo phones her friend Milan (Meikle) for help and she advices her to seek refuge at her uncle's caravan in the countryside. Jo does that and along the way, she and her offspring encounter a drifter named Tom (Craig Russell), who joins them at the caravan. Meanwhile, the brother of the deceased man, Pete (Phillips) is determined to track them down.

This psychological thriller drama has interesting characters and a rather intriguing plot. After an exciting start, the pace slows down and pays more emphasis on the characters than the plot, which is not a negative thing. The screenplay alternates between two storylines, one being the family of three hiding at the caravan, with Tom keeping them company and the other involving Pete trying to find them, along with Milan, who he has kidnapped. Both storylines are extraordinary situations and each has its own tensions and conflicts. The part at the caravan focuses primarily on Tom's interactions with the family, as he turns out to be an unstable individual and possibly harmful. However, the four of them find some sort of solace while they are there and separated from the rest of the world and Tom gets to know them and assists them. Going to the Pete and Milan part, that involves him driving her around and threatening her, however Milan is a strong person and attempts to talk some sense into him. The film does a good job in exploring the characters and creating tense and dramatic scenes and it ends up telling a story about family, crime, post-traumatic stress disorder, support and trust.

It could be said that there is no main character, with several taking the lead part. Jo is a mother who has unwillingly found herself in a desperate situation and does her best to keep herself and her loved ones safe. Regarding her children, Dylan spends a great deal of time listening to music and it is Izzy who stands out the most, a troubled youth who is apprehensive about Tom's behaviour. Tom is a damaged individual, a loner who suffers from panic attacks, has set up a kind of hideout near the caravan and owns a rifle and a crossbow. Although he comes across as friendly and helpful, he has deep emotional wounds, making him unpredictable and his presence is what creates tension in the family storyline. And then there is Pete, who could be classified as the antagonist, a violent and deranged individual who carries a handgun and is willing to resort to violence in order to get his way.

Paul Fuller and Matt Foxley do a great job with the cinematography and regarding the audio, there are creative sound techniques and commendations go to Craig Brown and Leon Dixon-Goulden for the dramatic score.

Content such as murder, kidnapping, PTSD, violent people and a dysfunctional family make this a dark feature. However, the story also explores the significance of support, family values and unity. It is a very well acted thriller about redemption that looks into the bad and good side of humanity.