Scarborough
In a once glamorous Scarborough hotel, away from prying eyes, two couples laugh, quarrel, and make love as they come to terms with the impossibility of their forbidden love. At barely 16 years old, two of them are still at school... and the others, their teachers.
Part love story and probing social commentary, Scarborough explores the impulsive nature of forbidden love and its unpredictable consequences. The dilapidated charm of the Victorian hotel makes for an interesting counterpoint with the teenage lovers’ youthful optimism and careless passion. Directed by Barnaby Southcombe (“I, Anna”), the film stars Jodhi May (“Ginger & Rosa”), Jordan Bolger (“iBoy”, “Peaky Blinders”), Edward Hogg (“Imagine”, “Anonymous”) and Jessica Barden (“The Lobster”, “Far From the Madding Crowd”) in the lead roles, and is produced by Christopher Granier-Deferre (“Lady Macbeth”, “The Levelling”, “Apostasy”).
Two mismatched lovers arrive at the British seaside town of Scarborough, seeking an escape from the constraints of real life. Liz, desperately shy and beautiful, seems older than her companion, the happy-go-lucky and impulsive Daz. In their faded hotel room, amongst the peeling wallpaper and away from the prying eyes of their hometown, they laugh, quarrel, make love and enjoy their anonymity. In an identical room in the same hotel, the sensitive artist Aiden and Beth, a fiery and impulsive young woman, tell the same story. As both couples are forced to come to terms with the illicit nature of their love, power shifts from one lover to the other, and joy turns to suffering as they reel from the destructive force of unbridled love.
The hotel rooms are the couples’ safe haven, but also a self-imposed prison, avoiding as they must the outside world. After all, at barely 16 years old, two of them are still at school.... and the other two, their own teachers.
– Press Clippings –
“Scarborough asks us to get past the nudity, the sexual heat and blatant titillation and consider the dynamics and consequences of these situations."
Movie Nation
“It is an intelligently slippery study which positions the audience in the grey area between empathy and complicity.”
Screen Daily
“The performances are strong and full of passionate conviction.”
The Guardian
“There’s no denying the great writing and performances on display. If you’re in the mood for this, if you are willing to sit down and watch four actors give it their all on-screen, give this film a chance.”
MovieBabble
“It is well directed and it is well performed [...] there is a neat twist at the end that you absolutely don't see coming.”
The Spectator
“It’s beautifully photographed by Ian Liggett, though it never once romanticizes what’s happening, keeping it always disconcerting. There is a twist in all this, but nothing I’ll hint further about, only to say it earns its keep. This is not a happy story, nor should it be, but it’s heartbreaking nonetheless and ends where it should, all the questions not on us but entirely with them.“
That Moment In
Awards
Award for Best Screenplay to Barnaby Southcombe at MACAO IFF 2018
Nomination as Best Supporting Actress/British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) to Jessica Barden
Key Information
| Original Title | |
| Genre |
Classical drama Romance |
| Produced by: | Poisson Rouge Pictures; Embargo Films |
| Year Of Production | 2018 |
| Duration | 01h24h00 min |
| Country Of Origin | United Kingdom |
| Language Versions | English [OV],French [ST] |
Cast & Crew
| Director/s | Barnaby Southcombe |
| Cast | Jodhi May Jessica Barden Jordan Bolger Edward Hogg Daniel York |
| Producer/s | Christopher Granier-Deferre Barnaby Southcombe |
| Writer/s | Barnaby Southcombe |