A BANQUET
★★★
OUT 11 MARCH / CERT TBC / 97 MINS
DIRECTOR Ruth Paxton
CAST Sienna Guillory, Jessica Alexander, Ruby Stokes, Lindsay Duncan
Rich in atmosphere but underwhelming in story, Ruth Paxton’s ambitious feature debut turns one family’s terrifying experiences into an existential — and perhaps somewhat overstuffed — study of physical and mental trauma, maternal instincts and religious faith. Jessica Alexander (TV’s Get Even) is excellent as teenager Betsey, who is adamant that her apparent anorexia is, in fact, evidence of spiritual enlightenment; Sienna Guillory (Remember Me) is equally good as Betsey’s overwhelmed mother. With stunning cinematography from David Liddell and evocative production design from Sofia Stocco, this journey of awakening proves deliciously creepy, until an overwrought final act turns an effectively ambiguous chiller into something altogether more vanilla.