Director Matt Winn riffs off Hitchcock’s The Trouble With Harry in this ‘black comedy’ that modernises the vicissitudes of collective guilt and self interest.

Sarah (Shirley Henderson) and Tom (Alan Tudyk) are hosting a dinner party with old friends Richard (Rufus Sewell) and Beth (Olivia Williams) who has, much to Sarah‘s annoyance, brought along mutual friend Jessica (Indira Varma). Jessica is the free spirit of the bunch and is riding high on her successful memoir, or confession porn as Sarah bitchily calls it.

There are secrets of course, and Jessica intentionally and unintentionally is the catalyst for a night that spirals into chaos. Perhaps it is to be expected that 30 year friendships and marriages are full of resentment, fragility and spite but these four seem to have hit the jackpot. Perhaps not Jessica, who chose to stay ‘free’ but with that comes its own burdens.

Advertised as a black comedy, it’s not really, although there are elements of farce. The characters are all so serious that the scenes that we are perhaps supposed to find darkly funny come across as frustratingly sad. Henderson is such a funny actor but here she is all brittle spite and unfathomably fickle in her intent. Tudyk is mostly open mouthed incredulity but you can see how they are a sometimes successful and potentially toxic couple. Sewell and Williams are more fun to watch, with lots of gristle in their relationship.

It’s a shame we don’t get more of Jessica, these four sorely need some of her fire. And I expect Winn thought the klafouti might be a thing but like much of the humour, it sinks rather than floats. I do intend to go home and make some though.