Rob Munday

Filmmaker Leyla Coll-O’Reilly has articulated an interest in narratives “seeped in shame,” a thematic preoccupation that shapes her debut short film, Groom. Drawing inspiration from the #MeToo movement, Coll-O’Reilly set out to translate a personal story to the screen – one that she felt remained largely absent from the public discourse surrounding power, gender, and accountability.

As Coll-O’Reilly observes, “the world wasn’t ready to look at the women who also participate in power play and manipulation.” Groom, which centres on a young girl (Hannah) beginning a trial at a beauty salon, initially presents itself as a coming-of-age narrative about a school leaver negotiating her place in the adult world. However, the film gradually reveals a more intricate and unsettling terrain, as questions of sexuality, control, and identity complicate its surface realism.

“I like to explore narratives that usually go untouched,” the filmmaker explains, describing her aim to “dilute” the shame that often surrounds such subjects. Crucially, Coll-O’Reilly resists moral simplicity in her work, instead favouring an ambiguity where audiences have to decide what happens off-screen. In this respect, Groom is conceived as a film that seeks to “mirror the experience of remembering trauma,” where audiences are never sure if Hannah is actually in danger. With a background in theatre and poetry, Coll-O’Reilly’s work is naturally centred around words, yet here it’s precisely what remains unsaid that resonates most powerfully, leaving a haunting imprint on the viewer.

“We decided to shoot in 4:3 ratio to minimise camera movement, wanting it to feel claustrophobic” – director Coll-O’Reilly on the visual style of the film

Like many filmmakers who situate their protagonists in precarious positions, Coll-O’Reilly employs a restrictive 4:3 aspect ratio and minimal camera movement in Groom. This formal strategy immediately conveys a sense of entrapment to the narrative, positioning Hannah as confined – pigeonholed by external expectations and lacking a clear means of escape. While the director acknowledges that the chosen shooting format slowed the pace of production, she reflects on this constraint as ultimately productive: the heightened deliberation required in composing each frame lends additional force to its visual storytelling.

Having first seen Groom back in 2023, when I nominated it for a London Critics Circle Film Award, it’s taken me three years to get the film onto S/W – yet it has lost none of its power over that time. The short serves as a memorable introduction to the work of Coll-O’Reilly, and having recently seen her follow-up, Four Seconds Flat – an equally impactful watch – I’m now further convinced of her considerable filmmaking talent. With that film currently navigating the festival circuit, the Scottish director is now developing her debut feature – a work we look forward to with great anticipation.