When it comes to thrillers, viewers seem to think this takes the crown, ranking it above Alfred Hitchcock classics.
Kaleidoscope, directed by Rupert Jones, is a British film that hit the screens in 2016 that focuses on the psychology of an ex-convict. What drives the film, however, is its award-winning lead actor who has starred in an array of much-loved films from Harry Potter to Captain America.
Toby Jones, who stars as Carl, is considered by many to be a British icon. From voicing the likes of Dobby in Harry Potter and the owl in Christopher Robin to starring in 90s classics Les Misérables and Ever After, his career has seen him take on a range of roles and gain many accolades along the way.
Film fans have made comparisons of the smaller-budget film to the highly acclaimed director Alfred Hitchcock, the man behind films such as Psycho, Vertigo, and The Birds. One viewer wrote: “Kaleidoscope is a micro-budget gem that adds a decidedly 21st-century bent to Hitchcockian suspense.” While another wrote that the film was “Hitchcock noir indeed”.
In the thriller, directed by his brother, Jones plays a troubled gardener living in a council block who has recently been released from prison. The film follows his difficult relationship with his mother, Aileen, who is planning on paying him a visit.
Carl is hoping to move on with his life, but his distressing past and difficult relationship with his mother still haunt him. When Aileen suddenly goes missing, it awakens a deep-seated trauma.
His mother Aileen is played by none other than national treasure Anne Reid, now 89, who is best known for her role as Valerie Barlow in Coronation Street up until the early 70s. Aileen also famously appeared in the British sitcom Dinnerladies and Last Tango in Halifax.
Viewers have praised the film’s acting on Rotten Tomatoes, with one person writing: “Provides juicy opportunities for its leads to deliver tour-de-force performances – and they don’t disappoint.” Another claimed that the two stars carried out “excellent lead performances”.
However, the film has also been met with a fair bit of criticism. One viewer wrote: “Wow. The performances are fantastic; easily worth five stars. Not that they are any help in untangling the plot of this film. Maybe it’s because I’m from the US, but I found it very hard to figure out what actually happened vs what was in his mind. I also thought the pacing was excruciatingly slow.”
What stuck with many of its viewers, however, were the themes of childhood trauma.
A review reads: “A gripping investigation into how the impressions left by early childhood resurface late on in life, Kaleidoscope is just as thought-provoking as it is unsettling.”
You can watch Toby Jones play a role like never before in Kaleidoscope, available on Amazon Prime.