
Bait

Martin Ward is a cove fisherman, without a boat. His brother Steven has repurposed their father’s vessel as a tourist tripper, driving a wedge between the brothers. With their childhood home now a getaway for London money, Martin is displaced to the estate above the picturesque harbour. As his struggle to restore the family to their traditional place creates increasing friction with tourists and locals alike, a tragedy at the heart of the family changes his world.
Wow wow wow wow wow. This one really blew me away.
Bait is a film that has to be seen to be believed. It’s also one that I can genuinely say is like no other I think I’ve ever seen before. If there are future directors who will reference Mark Jenkin’s offbeat masterpiece as one of their inspirations to make films, I wouldn’t at all be surprised. Not just because of the unique nature of it’s experimental camerawork and sound editing, but also because of it’s social and political importance. Being a British film made in 2019 and dealing with topics like class conflict, it’s no surprise that parallels are going to be drawn with recent events. Br*xit is never explicitly mentioned in the dialogue, save for some background talk on the radio, but the influence of such affairs is clearly felt.
What Jenkins has achieved here is, in my opinion, true genius. I can’t wait to see what he does next, and I’m sure I’ll find myself revisiting Bait time and time again.