DRAGONFLY

After a recent fall, elderly widower Elsie (Brenda Blethyn) spends her days sitting in her small unit, waiting for various carers to arrive and assist her with tasks like showering, cleaning, and meal prep. It’s a revolving door of agency workers, all stretched thin with too many clients, hired by her son John (Jason Watkins) who lives two hours away. When her 35 year old neighbour Colleen (Andrea Riseborough) offers to do some shopping for her, Elsie gratefully accepts the kind gesture. Colleen is an odd, awkward loner, whose only company seems to be her loyal American Pit Bull, Sabre. She hints at a troubled past and has impulse control issues, frequently exploding into expletive-laden rages. The two women form an unlikely friendship and it’s not long before Colleen is using Elsie’s credit card and knows her PIN number. Elsie gets agitated when one of her carers doesn’t know her name and tells John she no longer wants the outside assistance. Colleen steps in and offers to help, claiming she has nothing better to do and insisting she doesn’t want to be paid. John is suspicions of her intentions and when he asks about her source of income, she gives a vague response which makes him uneasy. He worries about his vulnerable mother and feels resentful about the decisions she is making without consulting him. Both Blethyn and Riseborough are faultless, each portraying their characters with physical and emotional nuances that make them feel real. Written during the COVID pandemic, most scenes take place within the confines of their homes. Long lingering shots of empty spaces emphasise the overall feeling of isolation. The story unfolds at a deliberate pace, gradually building in discomfort and tension. You can feel that something significant is about to happen and you know it won’t be good. Just when you think you have the film’s direction all figured out and are expecting the revelation of elder abuse, the relationship between Elsie and Colleen takes a dramatic turn that catches you off guard. I found the final haunting scene to be the most impactful of all. Clever and shocking.