Released on DVD via BFI on 29th August
This original movie from writing partnership Tom Palmer and Tom Stourton, is set about a weekend from hell for the lead character Pete (Stourton).
Pete is ready to celebrate his birthday with his old university friends, who invite him to a country house for the weekend. Upon arrival, Pete is alone though other cars are around. He sits alone awaiting their arrival, when they have invited a feral stranger from the local pub. As the weekend unfurls, old truths rise to the surface and Pete fears he is being persecuted and picked on.
Directed by Andrew Gaynord, who along with the writing tandem, has cut his teeth on the Channel 4 sitcom Stath Lets Flats, the film shares the DNA of cringe comedy and social anxiety with that BAFTA winning series.
Pete and his friends are all aspirational and would be fair to categorise them as middle-to-upper class, working in the public sector and yet able to have fun in each other's circles. Yet the introduction of Harry (Dustin Demri-Burns who is brilliant) opens up old wounds about Pete's personal demeanour and makes him very much the posh twat he tries not to be. Pete has recently done some work in a refugee camp in Africa, and now turning 30 he is ready to settle down with his long-term girlfriend Sophie who is working class and very much the chalk to his privileged cheese.
Throughout the film, Pete is an embodiment of a man who finds any situation awkward and ultimately makes that engagement more awkward than it needs to be, overthinking matters too much and questions everything asked of him by his friends. Sometimes you can be yourself the most in front of those who have seen you at your best and worst; in this weekend Pete is struggling to find a sure footing when his hang ups and esteemed nature comes to the fore too often.
A mixture of part social comedy, country house horror the film delicately walks the fine line of making the viewer as uneasy as Pete is, you come away not enjoying yourself but that is the point the film is trying to be made. So often we as a society are trying to be perfect and enjoy life that sometimes any action's consequence is forgotten about for the zest of exciement.
Credit should go to Stourton who takes on the role of Pete with aplomb and showcases an emotional thrust by the film's conclusion when he finally breaks down and ably supported by the ensemble especially Burns who relishes the role of provocative Harry.
All My Friends Hate Me is a socially awkward comedy that is very much of this social media driven, image first culture we are living in nowadays; it is the sort of cringe inducing comedy the British are especially adept at
All My Friends Hate Me is out on Blu-Ray/DVD from the BFI now
Extras on the disc include and audio commentary by Gaynord, Palmer and Stourton. A Q&A with journalist Leigh Singer, 7mins of deleted scenes, a short film by the trio The Soho Diaries from 2013 and a gallery.
My thanks to BFI for the review opportunity.
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