Dragonfly

Mix in a dash of Mike Leigh and a sprinkling of Hitchcock suspense and you have an approximation of the atmosphere of this odd couple tale from Paul Andrew Williams who previously gave us the noir drama London To Brighton and revenge thriller Bull.

It starts off amiably enough by describing the mundane existence of 80-year-old Elsie (Brenda Blethyn almost unrecognisable from her Vera persona) and her neighbour Colleen (Birdman’s Andrea Riseborough) who offers to help after social services fall far short.

Both women share a common bond in that they have been consigned to the fringes of society yet seem to rub along - Elsie doesn’t like to make fuss, while Colleen’s precise motives remain unclear although it’s doubtful if she is purely altruistic in her intentions.

The performances of double Oscar-nominated Blethyn and Riseborough provide hypnotic accounts of their characters as two vulnerable souls on the edge - the kind of people who remain “invisible” in most quarters of society.

Like so many caught up in the care system (or lack of it) Elsie has truncated horizons with few connections to the outside world - apart from television and occasional visits by her son (an effective Jason Watkins in a role of few words).

Her whole life is a struggle with such simple tasks as making a cup of tea fraught with challenges and physical difficulties as she tries to navigate her way between the kitchen and the living room.

No wonder she begins to rely increasingly on the help her new-found companion and nextdoor neighbour. Colleen equally has issues - with a lack of any affection in her life, apart from her devoted hound: a fierce-looking bulldog-type with whom she shares her bed. Williams discreetly signposts emotions: she has a sign above her bed reading: “Love lies here” although you suspect that there has been little of such emotion in her existence.

It is the film’s final act that may prove divisive. Elsie’s son always appears to have been suspicious of Colleen’s motives and interest in his mother. When events start to spiral out of control in the last 20 minutes the shock remains heightened despite the subtle signals planted in advance by Williams.

This slow-burn of a psychological drama exerts an inexorable grip over our imaginations which provokes horror at the blood-spattered finale. You have been warned.

Reviewed on: 17 Jul 2025