Rose of Nevada: Movie Review

Cast: George Mackay, Callum Turner, Francis Magee, Edward Rowe, Rosalind Eleazar 
Director: Mark Jenkin

British director Mark Jenkin returns to the world of Cornwall in the third of his Cornish trilogy films, a low-key scifi horror that mixes elements of Triangle with a level of existential dread that seizes on the nature and eco-system of living in a fishing town.

It starts with the creaking sounds of a boat, before segueing into shots of rope, moorings and birds - and before long, the sounds that offer comfort within a seaside community become something a little more disconcerting, thanks to Jenkin's use of still shots and an atmosphere of unease.

It's the tale of Nick (1917's George MacKay) and Liam (Callum Turner) a pair of desperate men trying to find work to cover various problems in their lives - be it leaking rooves or a need to pay for drinks down the local pub.

When the boat the Rose of Nevada reappears in the waters on a Cornish dock having been last seen in 1993, its owner Michael (Rowe) gives the two the chance to make some cash and go out on a trawling mission for a few days. But when they return to shore, both Nick and Liam find different lives awaiting them.

There's a touch of an elemental Cornish folktale here as Jenkin stacks the story with mystery, preferring to trade on the atmosphere rather than any form of direct explanation. For some, that may prove frustrating as answers are not forthcoming and the reason for the timeslipping nature of what's going on remains directly opaque.

But what emerges from Rose of Nevada is a sense of style amid the foreboding. Like a kind of Wicker Man vibe that taps into the unending implied menace of winding Cornish backroads, Jenkin turns the sea into something mystical and menacing. But he also builds a sense of community too, something that's key only to fishing towns where everything hangs on the quality and quantity of the catch.

The film's key inspiration is delusion and madness, as opposed to outright fear, and while Turner's Liam leans into the life that he's found, Nick is horrified - leading to an emotional ending that most won't expect.

Rose of Nevada is an oblique tale that once again showcases Jenkin as an esoteric unique British film voice. It's a voyage worth taking, if only for an unknown destination that will spark plenty of discussion.

Rose of Nevada is playing at the New Zealand International Film Festival - for times, see nziff.co.nz