For one thing, Wood has already proven herself to be a delightful and engaging screen presence, so getting to hear her own screenwriting voice was a fascinating prospect.
For another, it’s always a thrill to see new British comedy series come to air, at a time when there are so many unique, funny and vibrant comedies out there (despite what some many would have you believe).
Then there’s the show’s charming concept, it’s quirky visual aesthetic, a central turn for Nabhaan Rizwan, I could go on – the point is, there were a lot of selling points.
It’s therefore a strange feeling to come out of watching all six episodes of Film Club and feel that it hasn’t quite made its mark yet, or fulfilled that desire I had. That’s not to say it wasn’t an enjoyable watch, or that it couldn’t achieve that potential in future – just that, right now, there are a few bumps in the road.
Film Club stars Wood as Evie, a young woman who hasn’t left the house in six months after suffering from a mental health episode, described as a ‘wobble’.
Every Friday, as a weekly escape, she and her friends, including best friend Noa (Rizwan), meet up in her mum’s garage and celebrate film. There’s a different film chosen for each week, decorations are put up to recognise that, costumes are required, phones are banned and a movie-related quiz takes place. It’s delightful. There’s just one snag.
That is that Evie and Noa are quite clearly in love with each other, despite never having expressed their feelings to one another. Oh, and Evie has a boyfriend, Josh. Oh, and Noa is moving to Bristol for his dream job, meaning film club won’t be continuing.
It’s all rather a lot for Evie to deal with, and over the subsequent weeks she goes on a journey of discovery, to reflect on her feelings for Noa, as well as to learn more about herself.
First things first, there are a lot of things about this set up that are really winning. The idea of the actual film club itself is so charming as to be almost ridiculous.
It’s crucial to note here, that this is not some hang-out for real, hardcore cinephiles. The films they watch each week are the most classic of classics that everyone will have heard of, and the vast majority of viewers will have seen – think Alien and The Wizard of Oz.
This gives the whole thing are a far more wholesome vibe, and the sense that this really is an excuse for socialising first and foremost. The characters have a passion for film (well, most of them do), but it’s their friendship that binds them, and this is just a fun way to express it.
It’s telling that this was conceived of during the Covid pandemic, at a time when physical meet-ups were impossible, yet it also feels deeply resonant today.
Even without restrictions, society has still become so much more virtual and isolated. A series preaching about the joys of social interaction, and showing characters simply enjoying each other’s presence by being a bit silly, with no fear of judgement, is not only endearing, but also kind of critical.
The characters here are also a complete joy to have on our screens, and Wood and her co-creator Ralph Davis have assembled a brilliant cast to bring them to life.
Wood herself is magnificent as Evie, whose positivity and passion are infectious and whose mannerisms are so fantastically specific and clear. Rizwan’s Noa is more straight-laced and, as is commented on at numerous times, formal, but has a habit of breaking out into incredibly bold accents and performances.
As a duo fronting the show, they’re both fantastic, with superb chemistry which feels like a real, long-lasting friendship.
Meanwhile, there are excellent supporting turns throughout, including from Liv Hill as Evie’s sister Izzie, with that sibling relationship between really well-drawn and observed.
Two real MVPs are Suranne Jones as Evie’s mum Suz, a genuinely distinct, brilliant character and such a departure from the typical ‘on-screen mum’ figure, and Adam Long as Josh, who may not be right for Evie, but has an endearing turn of phrase and a excitable energy.
Set up, all great, characters, delightful, intentions, utterly good-natured. So, what are these issues? Well, these come, instead, in the detail of the narrative and in the tone. On the latter, it’s key to note that reviewing comedy is hard – it’s so subjective and every individual will find different things funny.
Unfortunately, I personally just didn’t find Film Club all that funny. It’s operating on a grounded, low level of humorous interactions, and sure, there are some funny character beats throughout and some sequences that evoke a chuckle, but for the most part it’s just not something that provided me with any real, deep laughs.
Part of the reason for this is that, despite being billed as a comedy-drama, the synonym dramedy might work better, simply because the drama is really the first port of call.
That brings me neatly to the plot, and in particular, the central romantic tension between Evie and Noa – these two are perhaps just too meant for each other.
Of course, that concept has a long history in romantic comedies, both in film and on TV, but here it’s kind of absurd. Evie doesn’t seem to have any particular chemistry with Josh, she and Noa are practically an old married couple from the word go, and even his moving away doesn’t feel like enough of an impediment to giving it a go.
There’s barely even the standard question of both parties being worried to ruin the friendship if they were to be rejected – their chemistry is so utterly blatant that even they so don’t seem entirely oblivious to how one another feels.
Every time there’s a roadblock in their journey, it just feels like a slightly forced and mechanical way to drag out the will-they-won’t-they storyline.
However, if you’re not vibing with the central romantic story, there are still plenty of other subplots to go down. In fact, there are slightly too many, with this scattershot approach leaving some of the most crucial ones feeling under-developed.
For instance, Evie’s mental health storyline is drawn in the broadest brush strokes, and never really honed in on in any substantial or meaningful way.
The lack of specificity may be universalising, and therefore a comfort to some, but it means that when Evie does start to get better it’s slightly harder to feel her catharsis, simply because we’ve never been entirely sure what she was struggling with to begin with.
Again, this could be an intentional statement on the ways in which we relate to others in times of crisis, and everyone’s experiences surrounding the topic will be different.
Purely from a dramatic standpoint, it can be somewhat frustrating, as though the show is keeping us at arm’s length. However, on a real-terms level, if this series helps some people who are struggling feel more seen, then that is wonderful, and a real, tangible good.
The way this storyline is dealt with just does seem to be part of a piece with a number of the other decisions made across the board. For instance, the film club conceit should be grounds to commit to a real episodic structure, wherein the films chosen are used as themes for the instalments, expressing what they’re trying to explore and doing so with aesthetic links.
At times, it feels this is the route the show is going down, and those are arguably some of the best moments of all. One dreamlike sequence involving a spacesuit, inspired by Alien, is fantastic.
However, as in a number of other areas, it fails to commit to this as a long-running structure, or indeed any structure or unifying concept. This keeps you on your toes, for sure, but sometimes a defined framework for episodes is good, helping to act as the glue holding everything else together.
Instead, we get what feels like many different versions of this show, with a number of different branches and characters being underserved – Adolescence breakout Owen Cooper in particular is largely wasted as local kid Callum.
As already expressed, none of this is to write Film Club off. If you’re looking for a really easy, cosy watch of an evening, something fairly light where you can spend time with likeable characters and superb performers, then this could very well fit the bill.
It’s also not to say that a second season couldn’t completely win me round on some of these quibbles. There’s so much potential here that I’d love to see a second iteration of this, one where some of the screws are tightened and a really clear theme, story and structure are honed in on.
But for now, Film Club isn’t quite the knockout personal favourite I wanted it to be – even if it’s still delightful to have a series which firmly celebrates friendship and film.
Film Club begins on Tuesday 7th October at 10pm on BBC Three and iPlayer.
Add Film Club to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
