The Low Down

Updated June 26, 2020 | Infoplease Staff

The period of drift between college and adulthood is a bumpy time of self-determination and existential scrambling. In the hands of writer-director Jamie Thraves, it makes for good cinema. His debut film, The Low Down, sticks to a refreshingly unguessable realism with enough style to keep things interesting.

Frank (Aiden Gillen) is one of the guys. He enjoys an easygoing life with London flatmates. As Frank approaches 30 and savings mount up, he considers getting serious and buying an apartment. Realtor Ruby (Kate Ashfield) turns into a love interest, and if it weren't for Frank's fears of commitment she might be the perfect person to live in that flat with him. Sound sappy but it isn't.

The Low Down risks softening into a simple romance or coming of age drama, and is careful to include realistic disappointments and plot turns. Ashfield and Gillen are well-chosen newcomers. Together with the other characters they render the film vividly.