Direction: Sean Durkin
Country: UK / Canada
The stake was high for Canadian writer/director Sean Durkin’s sophomore feature after such a fantastic debut with the indie gem Martha Marcy May Marlene in 2011. Although not disappointed with the slow-burning thriller The Nest, which walks a fine line to create enough character development and keeps us interested in its psychological web, I have to admit that this is far from any type of brilliancy. Still, the film delivers a few acute observations in its portrayal of the O’Haras, a family that, trying to adapt to a new life in London after moving from the US, creates a downward spiral into disharmony.
Jude Law and Carrie Coon carry their performances with strength, forging a male-female relationship that seems condemned to collapse. He says: “you’re embarrassing”, she responds “you’re exhausting”. Can love beat vanity and power?
Isolation, estrangement, dishonesty and deception, all shape a family-decaying story mounted with stark realism. It’s a shame that Durkin opted for the easiest conclusion, but the film remains valid. Both the pop/rock soundtrack and the film score are great.
