The screening on Saturday 8 November will be followed by a Q&A with director Paul Andrew Williams and actors Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough.
Have we become a nation of strangers? In Dragonfly, neglected pensioner Elsie (Brenda Blethyn) finds an unexpected ally in her younger neighbour Colleen (Andrea Riseborough). Over time, Elsie gains a friend and the troubled Colleen finds a fresh purpose in life as she shops, cleans and cares for her. It brings brighter days for both of them. Elsie’s son John (Jason Watkins) resents the way that Colleen has selflessly fulfilled the responsibilities that he has shirked. Simmering tensions bring shocking consequences in a gripping human story straight from the heart of broken Britain. A powerful return to the cinema from London to Brighton director Paul Andrew Williams that showcases heartrending, award-winning performances from Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough.
The Garden Cinema View:
Dragonfly is a well-crafted slow burner anchored by outstanding performances from Andrea Riseborough, Brenda Blethyn, and Jason Watkins.
Though firmly grounded in reality and echoing social realist traditions, the film also functions as a thriller through its consistent high tension and effective misdirection. There's an abstract danger lurking, and we're never sure from where or how it will manifest.
For much of its runtime, the film serves as an excellent case study of loneliness and the lack of family and state support for the elderly. A tonal shift towards the end, with its focus on the younger character, raises interesting questions about on-screen representation that viewers may interpret differently. That said, Dragonfly is an ambitious and compelling genre hybrid that's worth of your time.
