Starring Lorraine Stanley, Sam Spruell. Written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams. (STC) 86 min. Opens April 18.
A grim slice of social realism that’s been juiced up with thriller conventions, London to Brighton tries hard to shock and generally succeeds. Most arresting of all is the opening scene, in which Kelly (Lorraine Stanley), a prostitute with fresh bruises on her face, tries to protect an 11-year-old girl by stowing her away in a grimy public toilet and soothing her obvious panic with some French fries. Kelly and the girl — a runaway named Joanne (Georgia Groome) — soon flee on the titular train but they can’t escape the aftershocks of the disturbing incident that brought them together.
In the rest of his film — which picked up an array of awards and kudos in its native UK — writer-director Paul Andrew Williams parses out the very ugly details of what happened and what’s to come for the two women as they’re hunted by Kelly’s thuggish pimp Derek (Johnny Harris). It’s all efficiently done and more than sufficiently gripping, even if Williams’ endeavour risks seeming exploitative by revelling in the sadism and cruelty it also purports to condemn. Several credulity-straining twists and a pat finale don’t help matters. But the film’s raw immediacy, convincing performances and unremitting squalor make it hard to shake.