AS A PRELUDE TO FEAR

Directed by: Steph Du Melo

Starring: Francis Magee, Lara Lemon, Jamie Langlands, Roger Wyatt

When a young cellist called Eve goes missing, her abduction is thought to signal the revival of an old investigation into the so-called Pied Piper, a serial killer who had abducted three young women many years earlier. While Detective Chief Superintendent Barnbrook tries to ensnare the same chief suspect he'd had years ago, Eve tries desperately to survive her ordeal…

The most novel aspect of As A Prelude to Fear is that it is set in England. Usually this sort of sordid take is set in some out of reach place in the wilds of the United States, not in the surrounds of Eastborne!

The film kicks off in good form, with the viewer learning the fate of a previous abductee who'd "broken the rules" one too many times. Her death is very well staged and bodes well for the viewer if not the characters, especially Eve.

Eve's abduction is also very believable. She is first lured to a remote but safe location (greasy spoon style café) for an interview with a new cello tutor. However instead of meeting her there, he calls and asks her to meet him at a different nearby location, where she will be easy pickings.

When her boyfriend Jamie (Jamie Langlands) reports Evei's disappearance, the fact that she was a cellist stirs memories in DS Dobson (Lucy Drive), who reports the case to her superior, DCS Branbrook. Barnbrook was in charge of the previous Pied Piper case and it almost cost him his career when he targeted the most likely suspect but could not find any evidence.

It certainly seems like Barnbrook has the right man - Giles Corcoran is a very ascerbic person who seems to hate every one (especially his neighbour's dog). He is also a music tutor and all of the girls who have disappeared were students of his. Its clear from what we see of him that he is a horrible person but could he actually be the killer??

Following Eve's abduction the film settles into two narratives - Eve's attempts at survival and the procedural element as DCS Barnbrook, Dobson and Jamie all attempt to solve the mystery at hand. Unfortunately Eve's storyline is the weaker of the two, suffering from bad lighting and the fact that Lara Lemon is having to react/act alongside the voices of actors who are off-screen. However she does get the best moment in the film when her abductor plays a very cruel trick indeed!

More interesting are the crime procedural elements. Jamie (Jamie Langlands), frustrated by the seeming lack of action by the police, takes matters in his own hands to firstly investigate and then confront Corcoran. Meanwhile Barnbrook and Dobson follow their own leads. The acting here is more dynamic, especially between Barnbrook and Corcoran who get a couple of confrontations.

THE VERDICT

As A Prelude to Fear is a very well made independent thriller. It could do with a bit more carnage (there's a lot of threats but none are really followed through) to increase Eve's state of peril but even so there are a couple of nasty moments to enjoy. The script is worked out particularly well and the cast do a  good job. As a low budgeted independent film, this feels like its punching above its weight class.

7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

AS A RELUDE TO FEAR WILL BE AVAILABLE ON DIGIIAL, DVD and BLU RAY FROM 19th DECEMBER 2021