Dead End (2024)

*10/10*

An impressive debut feature from a promising young director. Lucy Rankin has clearly found inspiration from the greats of cinema, notably Martin Scorsese and has used this to her full advantage giving what feels like a love letter to the golden era of cinema while also providing a challenging, philosophical movie that is engaging from the opening shot to the last.

While the inspirations are on full display, this is in no way a carbon copy. Lucy has managed to create her own visual flair and style with great uses of sound design and a brilliant piano theme that adds to the overall dread and the weight of the choices our two protagonists are faced with. It is clear that she had a strong vision from the moment she finalised the script to the last edit, this is the work of someone who is truly passionate for cinema and wants to give audiences something to remember.