The Joy of Falling

We follow an aspiring fashion designer, Amelia (Bethany Gregson), and a start-up artist, Joseph (Ward J. Harries).

They both meet unexpectedly and enjoy their little bubble for a while until things spiral out of control.

They both meet at one of Joseph’s exhibitions as Amelia serves guests. A whirlwind romance ensues, showing a young love getting to know each other and creating memories. That veil soon begins to fall as we delve into their individual upbringings and troubles. Amelia is struggling to pay the bills, keep on track with her dreams, and feels like the black sheep within her family. Joseph is a troubled artist with a disturbing childhood and substance abuse issues that only escalate further.

The two begin to bond in more unsavoury ways, the spiral of deceit, denial, and the ultimate destruction of their relationship. It shows all angles of substance abuse, ones that get brushed under the carpet. The struggling smiles to family and friends as you begin to lose yourself.

Throughout the film, it’s obvious that extensive research has been undertaken to really portray such harrowing experiences. It grips us in terrifying ways, and the performances really solidify this, especially in the third act. Both Gregson and Harries immerse themselves entirely into these characters, these lost souls. Even Kirk (Danny Carine), Joseph’s long-time friend, plays the worrisome bystander well. We see the relationship go from a brotherly bond to a crumbling sense of paranoia and loss. Once brimming with joy, as the title suggests, everything falls apart around them.

The lighting throughout represents different points in their lives. Even through the lens of a camcorder and a film camera, it captures that very real and lived-in feel. The flat they occupy was a place of safety, love, and comfort, and by the end, becomes a prison-like environment, cold and unforgiving. They even touch upon class issues, with Amelia having grown up around a middle-class family and Joseph around a lower class. This feels like a persistent issue between the two as they clash and point fingers. Only made worse by the substance abuse, where there was once love has been replaced with toxic codependency and heightened emotions. We see this through the depressive episodes, the aggression, and the slow decline of what they once were.

This tale shows how two individuals bond in their shared trauma. How their personal struggles spill out and poison the relationship. Unhealthy coping mechanisms numb their minds and hearts, and the vicious cycle just continues. They find comfort in the downfall of one another, labelled as ‘love’, and as the saying goes, if you love someone, let them go, when holding on causes more pain. This is the unfortunate reality for these two, and they can’t quite come to terms with it until it’s too late.

Overall, the film is impactful in many ways, from generational trauma, a class system, and young adults trying to find their way in the world. It shows a messy kind of love filled with uncertainty and how detrimental substance abuse is. Gregson and Harries’ performances really shine through, portraying such a sensitive topic and the vulnerabilities and insecurities of each character. This is Edward Tramaseur’s feature debut and an impressive one. He handles the subject matter with grace but also the harsh realities that come along with it. Tramaseur’s work will be one to look out for.

The Joy of Falling is being released on 21st November. The film won "Best Feature Film" at the International Film Festival of Wales and The White Rose Independent Film Festival. It was nominated for "Best British Feature Film" at Worcester Film Festival 2025.