The Lonely Musketeer

UK 2024
Director: Nicolai Schumann
Cast: Edward Hogg, Richard Glover, Angela Peters, Alex Merry

97 Min. | OV
World Premiere
Independent

When Rupert wakes up, his world has shrunk to a few square meters. Trapped in a windowless room with bare concrete walls, his cell phone is his last connection to the outside world and a crack in the brickwork is the only clue to his surroundings. While Rupert feverishly tries to unravel the mystery of his abduction and track down his whereabouts with the police, he is confronted with other unpleasant truths from his past. And with every call, the slick businessman mercilessly draws closer to a revelation that will shake him to the core ...
Nicolai Schumann’s directorial debut is a prime example of the power of minimalist cinema. Shot in immaculate black and white with an aspect ratio of 4:3, »The Lonely Musketeer« is repeatedly reminiscent of a classic Hitchcock chamber drama. For over an hour and a half, the camera hardly ever leaves the room, mesmerizingly sticking to Edward Hogg instead, who fearlessly pulls out all the acting stops as Rupert and whispers, threatens, argues and shouts his way through the film with a fascinating range. In combination with Schumann’s
really clever script, the tension is hard to beat - despite or perhaps because of ts limitations.