Mission film review: Impending doom
George MacKay stuns in this lightweight but entertaining meditation on male mental health
Mission turns depression into a sensory assault, where existential dread comes with loud music, horror imagery, karaoke and knife fights. There’s something distinctly Holden Caulfield about its fixation on the corniness of humanity: the vapid rituals of work, small talk, corporate platitudes and the absurdity of being alive. Dylan (played by George MacKay) is pale, expressive and deeply depressed, observing the world while desperately trying to find a reason to remain in it. ‘I’ve never felt like I belong,’ he moans, and the camera angles make us feel like we’re spying on this poor boy, barely holding himself together. Paul Wright’s direction is restless; quick cuts, bursts of loud music and sudden silence make Dylan’s emotional extremes palpable.
Horror fragments collide with childhood home videos, creating a sense of impending doom as we watch him trying to convince himself away from suicide. MacKay is outstanding, communicating whole emotional worlds through tiny shifts in expression. But there’s almost too much going on, and nothing feels like a very convincing route to salvation: a bleak Atomic Kitten cover, snogging his ex-boss, rolling in mud and kicking a police officer up the arse. Emun Elliott as a sleazy CEO is wonderful to watch, right down to his bare ankles, and offers some of the film’s funniest moments. Ultimately though, the rollercoaster of events distracts from the story’s potential depth, leaving its poignant ideas about men’s mental health stranded amongst wild parties and platitudes.
Mission was reviewed at Edinburgh International Film Festival.