Daisy Ridley is best known to the masses as having played Rey in the most recent trilogy within the Star Wars saga. However, since hanging up her lightsaber, Ridley has been steadily building an acting portfolio within the arena of independent film. Her roles in last year’s Sometimes I Think About Dying and 2024’s Young Woman and the Sea, garnered rave reviews for her performances, and her latest project, Magpie, is set to do the same. Our Magpie review continues below.
Set firmly within the realm of psychological thriller and dark romance drama, Magpie might, on paper, sound like a strange film to open this year’s FrightFest Halloween, but it actually fits in rather well. Following in the footsteps of August’s anniversary opener, Broken Bird, Magpie follows the plight of a lonely woman, Anette (Ridley). Unlike her Broken Bird counterpart, Anette’s loneliness isn’t due to being alone. Instead she lives with her husband, Ben (Shazad Latif), and their two young children. Anette’s loneliness is drawn from the isolation of both her rural relocation and her status as a stay-at-home parent. Whilst husband Ben leaves the house to work, Anette is left at home with the baby, and as a former workaholic, the change in pace is a lot for her to handle.
Anette’s situation worsens when her young daughter, Matilda (Hiba Ahmed), is cast in a feature film alongside controversial actress, Alicia (Matilda Lutz). Ben takes on the role of parental chaperone, once again leaving Anette trapped at home with their infant son, and as Ben becomes drawn to Alicia, the couple’s marriage gets twisted inside out.
Before Magpie ultimately spirals into all-out thriller territory, it perfectly captures that sense of loneliness felt by those home alone with little ones. Tom Bateman’s script explains exactly how isolating this way of life is, and how some mothers can struggle to adapt, regardless of how much they love their children. This strand of storytelling seems to be on the rise with Nightbitch highlighting similar issues, and the movement is most definitely welcome. For decades, on screen mothers have had few variations in their portrayals, and most have either been unobtainable supermums, or mean mothers. This shift into a more balanced and honest depiction of mum life is a breath of fresh air, and Ridley is fantastic during these moments.
As Anette, Ridley communicates her internal struggle with finding her place in the world post motherhood. She does excellent work at articulating all of Anette’s struggles and is careful to never play her as too much of a victim. Similarly, her jealousy of the younger and responsibility-free Alicia is handled well. Rather than immediately fly off of the handle, she tries to keep her emotions under control, and even when she is faced with some devastating news, she remains composed. Playing opposite her as Ben is Shazad Latif, whose performance will have the audience’s blood boiling. Whereas Anette is complex and controlled, Ben is driven by his hormones and Alicia presents a temptation too good to pass up.
With much of the interactions between Ben and Alicia playing out via texts, Magpie could be a slog to get through if the audience was expected to read pages of tiny font messages. Director Sam Yates gets more creative however, by presenting shots of both actors with the audio of their text played over the top of them. Not only is this a more dynamic way of communicating the reams of exchanges, it also makes their dalliances more enticing and lustful. Yates’ work with colour is a high point, the director opting for a palette of cold steel. This coupled with the heavy glass architecture of Anette and Ben’s house, serves to reinforce the chilly isolation that the family lives in.
Magpie beautifully articulates the oppressive feelings of loneliness and isolation, with Daisy Ridley giving a captivating performance as a mother on the edge. Mix that with one of the most reprehensible male characters in recent times and Magpie becomes a riveting exploration of dark romance, temptation, and the crippling loneliness of life at home.
Magpie
Summary
Featuring some clever directing choices and some grounded performances, Magpie is a seductively appealing psychological thriller that nails toxic relationships.
Magpie review by Kat Hughes – reviewed at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest Halloween. Magpie is available on UK and Ireland digital platforms 11 November.
