Director – Ben Wheatley – 2025 – UK – Cert. 15 – 90m
*****
An abducted journalist finds himself involved in multi-dimensional travel – quasi-experimental and completely bonkers sci-fi drama embarks on a tour of UK cinemas, from the smallest to the largest, on Thursday, January 15th
We are watching black and white footage. (The film occasionally uses colour, for instance footage of Sam Riley – from Islands, Jan-Ole Gerster, 2025; Firebrand, Karim Ainouz, 2023; Control, Anton Corbijn, 2007 – in a grey-blue suit reminiscing about what happened to his character). “25 kilometres from the epicentre,” says a voice, instantly recognisable as Bill Nighy (from Living, Oliver Hermanus, 2022; Minamata, Andrew Levitas, 2020; I Capture the Castle, Tim Fywell, 2003), who performs similar duties throughout, including reading the film’s title when it appears moments and several shots later on the screen.
Some of those shots are worth talking about in detail, because they help convey everything that’s great about this lovingly hand-to-mouth-crafted movie. They include library footage – a jet trail across what could be detail of a planet, troops watching an A-bomb explosion from the trenches.
As Nighy speaks, two tiny static figures stand in a landscape (which looks like a model although it could be a still photographic element behind which is composited live action footage of clouds moving across in a sky. The shot has a certain inescapable charm, reminiscent of British TV sci-fi dramas of yore, a couple of which are name-checked in the end credits.
A brief overhead shot shows a car crossing a main road somewhere in England without waiting at the dotted lines where it’s supposed to wait. It could be done with little models. It might even be cut-out animation (which I believe was used for some of the spaceship and / or planet shots in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick, 1968). It’s hard to tell. Whatever the technique, it’s both effective and affecting.
There are separate shots largely in darkness, of both driver Taylor and passenger Riley with areas of light passing over them to convey their presence in a moving car. Again, stylish and effective, something which might easily be said of the entire film. These particular shots reminded me of a similar trope used in much anime (for instance in Bubblegum Crisis, OVA, 1987-91, although it’s a much more widely used trope.)
And so to the plot… Recovering from a cocktail of drugs – both the composition and the motive behind the delivery of which will be revealed later on in the proceedings – with which he has been injected, Corey Harlan (Riley) slowly recovers consciousness in the back of a car being driven at breakneck speed by Sessler (Noah Taylor from Free Fire, Ben Wheatley, 2016; Shine, Scott Hicks, 1996; The Year My Voice Broke, John Duigan, 1987) to the house of Anton Chambers (Mark Monero from Free Fire, Happy New Year, Colin Burstead, 2018, both Ben Wheatley; Eastenders, TV series, 1991-6), a character who does not appear until some way into the film.
On arival, the pair are met by scientist Aclima (Alexandra Maria Lara from Rush, Ron Howard, 2013; Control; Downfall, Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2004) who is on a tight schedule, and watching the three analogue watches strapped to her wrist, rushes him into the room at the centre of the house which, with its white-painted interiors, is an inter-dimensional travel ship which can wipe the memories of those taking journeys on it.
It all gets terribly convoluted from here, and while that has ruined many a film of whatever genre, in this instance there is so much going on visually and aurally from shot to shot, not to mention the extraordinary editing, that it really doesn’t matter. (Think: The Big Sleep, Howard Hawks, 1946, in which no one can follow the plot yet everyone sits glued to their seat for the duration.) While I hesitate to recommend it as science-fiction, or a thriller, as a slice of cinema (or television or whatever this actually is) it is a joy, constantly inventive and making smart use of all the talents involved both behind and in front of the camera with the feel of an old black and white BBC Dr. Who story from the 1960s before the reboot decided to augment it with state-of-the-art digital and other effects when one of the hallmarks of the original show had been its inventiveness on a shoestring. Oodles of innovation can be found here on every level.
Indeed, it feels influenced by a whole cultural raft of stuff, movies and beyond. Tacky shots employing model Airfix kits effects resemble Gerry Anderson aircraft effects been executed by Ed Wood with the enthusiasm of both. Narrative-wise, it’s probably closer to the writings of Philip K. Dick than anything else. Wheatley and his collaborators are playing around with numerous effects techniques and technology old and new. And it’s a heap of fun to watch.
As proudly proclaimed in the director’s handwritten closing titles, this was shot on Sonys, iPhones, GoPros and SVHS. The credits somewhat bravely and proudly put their hearts on their sleeve with its ‘thanks to’ list, which in addition to various individuals and purveyors of food and drink, includes the following cultural influences: The Terminator, Stalker, 2000 AD, BladeRunner, Philip K. Dick, Akira, Moog, Aphex Twin, Clint Mansell, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Snow Crash, Dr. Who, The Survivors, The Tomorrow People, Thunderbirds, Star Wars, Death Race 2000, The Land That Time Forgot, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Ray Harryhausen, Martin Scorsese, The Scala, The Duke of Yorks, The Jungle Book, The Battle of the Bulge, Tintin Weekend, Zazie Dans Le Metro, The Idiots, Festen, Jeremy Thomas, Airfix, Rotring.
That’s quite a list, and even though there’s a handful of items there I’ve never watched, read or visited – some useful pointers / reminders there, thanks Ben – it’s a list that makes me want to see anything with which Wheatley is involved.
In the meantime, the film is using a distribution model as unique as itself, touring round the UK with writer-director-editor Wheatley doing Q&As with audiences after the film, starting with (allegedly) the UK’s smallest cinema The Nickel in London’s Soho (already sold out) and ending up at the much loved BFI London Waterloo IMAXXXXXXXXX! (sic) prior to a conventional theatrical release.
BULK embarks on a ‘Narrative is Tyranny’ tour of indie UK cinemas, from the smallest to the largest on Thursday, January 15th.
Tour details at Rook Films’ website where you can also buy composer Dave Welder’s BULK soundtrack on CD and assorted Ben Wheatley zines.
Trailer: