Orchid Moon: Review

30th September 2023

Harry Bradshaw (Jake Waring) has never been in a worse position in his life. He’s trying to get over a relationship that ended and he’s also caught in a bad situation at work which could end up with him going to prison. He frequently visits his local pub to try and forget his problems, but a friendly barman named Geoff (Grahame Edwards) helps him to realise that his problems have easier solutions if he’s willing to look for them.

Orchid Moon is an introspective drama written and directed by Lewis William Robinson. Shot in black and white, it sets the mood for the kind of drama which is meant to be mulled over and thought about, perhaps putting the audience in Harry’s shoes.

Perhaps not the kind of film you would want to watch if you were recovering from a break up, nonetheless, Orchid Moon does its best to show that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. It also does it whilst portraying a side of grief which is perhaps not often shown so tenderly.

However, there are issues with Orchid Moon besides its cryptic title. The film feels like it wants to tell an uplifting story about a man finding life after loss, but it also feels like it doesn’t want to tug at the heart strings too hard.

Whereas this could make the film feel more realistic, instead it may make the audience wonder if there was anything they missed. At a relatively short time of just over an hour, Orchid Moon may do what it sets out to do, but the audience may find themselves connecting some of the dots themselves.

All the cast do well, it’s beautifully shot and even a surprise cameo may even pique some viewers interests. It’s just a shame that Orchid Moon feels like the kind of film that wants to be more crowd pleasing, but may not want the limelight just yet.

Waring delivers a good performance that makes the audience feel for Harry, but the overall product doesn’t quite have the emotional weight that it needs to succeed.

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