Shouting at the Sea

A purgative and thoughtful short film, Shouting at the Sea wraps its audience in a cosy embrace whilst slowly lashing at it with poignancy and heartfelt revelations.

Directed by Benjamin Verrall, written by Kate Auster, Ruth Mashall and Amelia Rowcroft, the film stars Harry Michell and Maddie Rice as Joe and Katherine respectively. They have met up in their hometown of Hastings, following an email invite from the latter to the former, and the childhood friends spend the day travelling around town and enjoying the haunts of their past. A vibration of chemistry between them increases throughout the film’s duration as we glimpse more about their relationship from the past, as well as their current struggles with life’s endless hardships. Joe lacks direction and is still grieving the passing of his father, whilst Katherine’s apparent success smothers her true feelings. 

There is also some unspoken tension between them, something from their past. As their day progresses into night and they find themselves on the beach, a culmination of their reconnection must take place.

Whilst many may assume this film would be full of romantic chemistry, it’s actually something deeper and more intelligent than that. The story is full of painful regrets and honest acknowledgements and the shared past of Joe and Katherine forms a solid foundation but too much has happened since and we are only witness to some of that story. This ambiguity is enhanced by Daisy Haggard’s interspersed narration, poetic lines about the sea that allow the viewer to ponder on a larger scale and consider the endless flux of life all around us.

Harry Michell plays the role of humble hometown Joe with class and aplomb. He delivers us a sincere character, eschewing bitterness or bravado, for something more stirring and appealing. Maddie Rice gives a wonderful turn as Katherine, a conflicted mum and wife who has so much to consider in her life and yet not achieving the happiness or fulfilment she thought she would by this point in her life. The pair’s onscreen chemistry is perfectly brought out in the direction by Verrall, delivering a film that is easy (and sublime) to slip into.

Shouting at the Sea explores some profound themes, such as the way our fear can often prevent us from becoming who we want to be, or how whether we are showing off or being silent, it’s often not a true version of ourselves we put out there for the world. A particularly moving scene in the film sees Joe talk about his father’s cancer diagnosis, and how this had a somewhat positive effect on the man. It’s these big and thought-provoking ideas that Shouting at the Sea looks to navigate and manages to do so without sinking from the weight of them all.