The Drowning of Arthur Braxton (based on the book by Caroline Smailes) is a film I first found out about around five years ago and backed on Kickstarter! I avidly followed each update, awaiting the day director Luke Cutforth would announce the release of the film and was not disappointed when it finally happened!
Winner of Best UK Feature at the 2021 Raindance Film Festival, The Drowning of Arthur Braxton is best summed up by director Luke Cutforth: "An unflinching account of the pain of adolescence and how first love can transform the most unhappy of lives into something miraculous."
The Drowning of Arthur Braxton centres around the life of a teenage boy, Arthur Braxton (James Tarpey). Arthur is relentlessly bullied at school whilst dealing with the challenges of being a young carer for his alcoholic depressive father (Johnny Vegas). Along the way, a siren song leads him to discover Delphina (Rebecca Hanssen) swimming in an abandoned bath house that's scheduled for demolition. Arthur's life starts to spiral dangerously out of control and Delphina becomes his escape. There's something mystical at play.
Luke and his team captured the essence of the book perfectly, blending the real world experiences with the fantastical. Born out of a lot of love, dedication and hard work, the film is a definite must see which I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone!
