Céline Roustan

It’s pretty common to have people in our lives that we’d rather avoid and never cross paths with again. Jane is not afforded that privilege when, as she is starting work, a man with whom she shares some bad blood walks in. Is it really him? Has he recognised her? This simple yet universal premise is the starting point of writer/director Cosmo Salovaara’s One of Those, where he keeps us on the edge of our seats with a perfectly crafted, incredibly volatile, simmering tension.

Limited by a self-imposed rule of making a film set in one location that could be shot in one day, Salovaara shared that he was “thinking about bad behaviour and the dubious ways in which people try to absolve themselves of past mistakes” when the inspiration behind the film struck. Simple logistically, the film is nevertheless a clever and effective confrontation where the characters’ true intentions keep subverting our expectations. The universality of the situation definitely gives us a satisfying sense of release in the way Salovaara concludes the narrative, projecting much of what we might expect onto the characters before pulling the rug out from under us.

Also credited as the editor of the film, Salovaara creates a palpable tension while expertly balancing a sharp sense of humour with drama. Working with DP Arlene Muller (Nasir, You’ve Never Been Completely Honest) and sound designer Forrest Lotterhos, he maximises the mundane presence of sharp tools in a barber shop, twisting them into the ingredients of a genuinely threatening situation.

S/W regular David Brown stars in One of Those.

Salovaara uses the word revenge to describe the film… sharp scissors, an exposed neck, an, if not inevitable, desired violent outburst… you know there will be blood. Makeup artist Hatti Rees, who also handled the practical SFX, created a very compelling prosthetic to make the stabbing all the more satisfying!

In the lead role, Sophie Neff portrays Jane with a sincerity that makes all the anger, hurt and frustration of her character feel undeniable and potent. Many of you will recognise David Brown, already featured in several previously selected S/W films (Max Distance & See Saw to name a few), who is, for once, not the goofy nerd but the bad guy – or is he? Both play off each other with a passive intensity that makes the film all the more enthralling.

Salovaara is currently working on his feature debut, Gift Horse, about “a trans man who joins a middle aged male support group for victims of car break-ins”.