Be warned, Set Me Free is a wrenching watch. It's a story so abhorrent and seemingly hopeless that there may be times you don't want it to go on, but within its tight confines Kris Smith, with a script by Max Rudd and Laura Belcher, finds warmth and hope. It is, against all odds, uplifting.
Lauren (Nina Taylor) live in a lighthouse, owned by the people she claims to be her parents. To Lauren this is the entire world, where objects - Table, Rug, Wardrobe - are the only one of their kind but it's also her prison, a cell in which she's been kept for twenty years since she was kidnapped at the age of 1 by weird couple Graham and Marie Howard (Steve Carrell & Kim Waters). The brilliance of Kris Smith's creation is making us see these two worlds as one, Lauren's magic and horror, like oil and water, emulsifying into a twisted truth that helps both keep a grip on sanity. Smith's direction is astonishing, not just because he constantly finds new ways of claustrophobia, keeping the viewer trapped in there but surprising us all the time, but for the performances he wrings from his cast. Nina Taylor is so raw as to verge on unwatchable, the pain she conveys just too upsetting to sit with. A lot of the credit for that has to go to Smith. Set Me Free drags you further into darkness in the journey to find some distant light. It's a mark of how well Smith has told his story that by the end, which takes you to places once unimaginable, you'll likely be willing to go through it all again.
10 Reviews
"Everyone's normal in the country"
amandawyatt-8049313 June 2016
So I just returned from watching both volumes of Set Me Free at a test screening and I got to say, this is impressive. I heard just before watching this that it was done on such a shoe-string budget and the thought of this just blew me away, it was handled in such a way that's quite beyond perfection. It's a riveting and harrowing story that focuses on very interesting characters and it delivers such charm and joy even though it is a dark mystery thriller. I think concepts like this are always misled or not done properly in big Hollywood films whether it's the company's interference or not, but Set Me Free grabs an emotional response and it's films like this that should gain public interest and be shown to thousands.
VERY long story short, our main protagonist is Lauren (Nina Taylor) who is confined indoors in a lighthouse by her strange parents whom she addresses formally ("Father, Mother"). She is told to never leave the lighthouse and explore outside for it is toxic and would instantly kill her without a certain protective gear. As days go by her suspicions grow more and she eventually dares to go out, not knowing that the oxygen outside is totally safe and normal (like it always has been). But Lauren is discovered by a single mum, detectives and a social-worker (who becomes a therapist) and soon begins to realise that her whole life in the lighthouse was a lie; the air outside, certain rules inside the lighthouse and especially the people who claim to be her parents. Meanwhile a hardworking journalist (Leila Kotori) gets a position at an impressive news organisation and investigates how to corrupt and expose poor Lauren into the truth behind her past. I'm not going to spoil the entire thing as it's such a complex story line but that's the core point. It's preachy and manipulative – it lets the story speak for itself.
The performances are debatable as some acting is weaker than others but on the plus side it's not distracting. Nina Taylor proves that she doesn't mind being put into the most unflattering light possible and for that she is fearless, bold and interesting to keep watching. The kidnap parents (Steve Carroll and Kim Waters) are truly in the spotlight in my personal opinion as they were perfect as the unusual parents, better than the rest of the performances.
Set Me Free is the kind of film that inspires debate and discussion long after the credits have rolled. It's ambiguous and mystery is a positive, believe me! It's well directed, well written and more importantly entertaining all the way throughout. This is how dramas should be and I wish to see more films like this.
VERY long story short, our main protagonist is Lauren (Nina Taylor) who is confined indoors in a lighthouse by her strange parents whom she addresses formally ("Father, Mother"). She is told to never leave the lighthouse and explore outside for it is toxic and would instantly kill her without a certain protective gear. As days go by her suspicions grow more and she eventually dares to go out, not knowing that the oxygen outside is totally safe and normal (like it always has been). But Lauren is discovered by a single mum, detectives and a social-worker (who becomes a therapist) and soon begins to realise that her whole life in the lighthouse was a lie; the air outside, certain rules inside the lighthouse and especially the people who claim to be her parents. Meanwhile a hardworking journalist (Leila Kotori) gets a position at an impressive news organisation and investigates how to corrupt and expose poor Lauren into the truth behind her past. I'm not going to spoil the entire thing as it's such a complex story line but that's the core point. It's preachy and manipulative – it lets the story speak for itself.
The performances are debatable as some acting is weaker than others but on the plus side it's not distracting. Nina Taylor proves that she doesn't mind being put into the most unflattering light possible and for that she is fearless, bold and interesting to keep watching. The kidnap parents (Steve Carroll and Kim Waters) are truly in the spotlight in my personal opinion as they were perfect as the unusual parents, better than the rest of the performances.
Set Me Free is the kind of film that inspires debate and discussion long after the credits have rolled. It's ambiguous and mystery is a positive, believe me! It's well directed, well written and more importantly entertaining all the way throughout. This is how dramas should be and I wish to see more films like this.
Fantastic
megrobinson5 July 2019
Worth 3 hours of your life (both volumes)
jamesbobby12 July 2016
We are dealing with something serious here. Upcoming director Kris Smith's Set Me Free is quite the trip as it shines with it's diverse characters, clever twists and the idea of going deep into the rabbit hole of mayhem. It's an intriguing analytical mess of reality, mystery and emotion. Set Me Free focuses on the desire to seek the truth of the past, though it always comes back to haunt you, it is the trouble and isolation that comes with that - which our main girl Lauren/Ava deals with. The story has a certain way of exploring the psychological persuasion into a way of thinking; Could this happen to your loved one? Astounding and original.
The women steal the film in my opinion (such as Nina Taylor, Leila Kotori, Ann-Marie Doggett, Jo Lay etc), their strong feminine approach creates such a strong impact to the film making me want to watch more. Well done girls! It's funny how the men are depicted as somewhat weak in the whole film (with minor exceptions from the father character) and the female roles are the ones that push the story forward. Nice touch. Charlotte was my favourite character due to her manipulation, greed of power and exposure of others, and I believe the film starts to become way more interesting the minute she first appears.
While there is still something I still cannot quite describe that holds Set Me Free back from being one of the best films i've seen this year, I cannot stop thinking about how powerful and great it really is. It is an ambiguous film that stays with you long after you've watched it and one that packs fantastic performances. This is an incredible film by a young, ambitious team of filmmakers. But don't get me wrong, there will undoubtedly be some debate about whether this is cutting edge independent filmmaking or just another snooty art-house mind-messer. All I can say is, I hope the film grabs enough audience for the debate to matter. It deserves it.
The women steal the film in my opinion (such as Nina Taylor, Leila Kotori, Ann-Marie Doggett, Jo Lay etc), their strong feminine approach creates such a strong impact to the film making me want to watch more. Well done girls! It's funny how the men are depicted as somewhat weak in the whole film (with minor exceptions from the father character) and the female roles are the ones that push the story forward. Nice touch. Charlotte was my favourite character due to her manipulation, greed of power and exposure of others, and I believe the film starts to become way more interesting the minute she first appears.
While there is still something I still cannot quite describe that holds Set Me Free back from being one of the best films i've seen this year, I cannot stop thinking about how powerful and great it really is. It is an ambiguous film that stays with you long after you've watched it and one that packs fantastic performances. This is an incredible film by a young, ambitious team of filmmakers. But don't get me wrong, there will undoubtedly be some debate about whether this is cutting edge independent filmmaking or just another snooty art-house mind-messer. All I can say is, I hope the film grabs enough audience for the debate to matter. It deserves it.
Amasing indy production.
paulstrowger16 September 2016
I watched this film with some trepidation, however it more than surpassed my expectations. Excellent acting, well written, well directed, well produced and very high production values for a low budget production. It reminded me of watching a BBC drama. "High praise" I here you say, but this feature is very deserving of it in my opinion. There were many good performances, but stand out performances from Nina Taylor as Lauren, Max Rudd as Ethan Wright and Ann-Marie Doggett as Rachel Boon really were the icing on the cake. I hope this movie and it's contributors get the recognition they deserve. 10/10 for an Indy project.
Thought provoking and extremely engaging
davidfrost7522 August 2016
This is a thought provoking film that leaves the watcher with many questions about how they would feel if they were in the shoes of Lauren (Nina Taylor). Kris has invoked a sense of menace and outrage from the very start in the way that Lauren's life is controlled and how her innocence is betrayed by her parents time and time again. The characters portrayed by most of the actors were utterly believable with particularly strong performances by Nina Taylor, Steve Carroll and Max Rudd. I enjoyed Ann Marie Doggett's role as the busy housewife and the two investigating Police Officers Mark Wells and Jo Lay in their dogged battle with the overbearing stupidity of their superior officer. As the story unfolds we are treated to an insight into the machinations of a baying press core which again leaves questions in the mind of the viewer about how they would react in similar circumstances. When a film leaves you thinking about it in the following days, then it has worked and this film has certainly done this. I hope it reaches a wide audience as it deserves to be out there in the public eye. Though the subject of the film is disturbing and the action tugs at your emotions in ways that you may not like, it is at the same time extremely engaging. An excellent film that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Better than volume one
traceyfields-1717029 May 2020
I know you need both films together to make this work, but I personally enjoyed this one more than the first one. This volume seems to have more energy and action instead of character development. Thought the ending was very good for what it's worth because when you invest your time into the story and characters for 2 and a half hours it's important to have an ending that wraps everything up nicely.
Makes you feel grateful to be alive.
jenna_sinclair23 June 2016
I know one thing, I will never, ever forget this heartrending, unbelievably-acted 'movie' for the rest of my days. I'm just at a loss for words and struggling to describe how truly powerful and heart-grabbing this story was. I'll go so far as to say that if you don't cry, shed a tear, or feel the urge to weep profusely after (or while) watching this film, you don't have a heart. The main character (Nina Taylor) and the mother (Ann-Marie Doggett) steal the entire film/s. The beauty of Set Me Free is in its bare rawness, realness and universally relatable nature. What can I say? It tapped into something deep, deep, deep within me and just ripped my heart to shreds and had me in tears; sometimes tears of sadness, and other times tears of heavenly joy. It made me smile at times and even laugh. But most of all, it always had my eyes glued to the screen and my soul enthralled by what I was witnessing. This is one of the best, truly real stories ever told and one of the best uses of cinema I've ever seen. ...Try not to read much/anything about it before going in to see it (and yes, definitely catch it in a theatre near you ASAP). Go in and be engrossed and moved (in ways I can't describe) by this experience. 10/10 *Hands down* the best film of 2016, and the single best thing I've seen in years. :')
A Better Tomorrow
conanstewart-813727 August 2019
For a film made on a micro budget, a great story from start to finish wonderful cast and crew made a great tale a memorable one ... Top job everyone a most enjoyable movie...I'm getting extra copies for friends and family...wonderful performances from Jess Taylor, Leila Kotori, Max Rudd, Mark Wells, Dominic Zwimmer, Ann-Marie Doggett to name but kept me entertained, more than some big budget films, I will be watching more from this talented team. With a bigger budget it can only get better well done once more all involved. A decent film great to watch. Deserved my attention.
Jess steals the show!
ginohampshire14 July 2023
This film is the best, it has some interesting twists and keeps me engaged. The actors did an amazing job and I loved the direction of the film itself. Jess, you are an amazing actress who knows how to get into the skin of the character in a believable way. Other actors did well too and I know they are already achieving the success they deserve. Well done everyone, I am so proud of you to those who are actually trying to make their dreams become a reality. A great day to spend a few hours; excellent and outstanding. Highly recommended. I enjoyed it highly and would watch this multiple times. Great!
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