The Nest (2021)

Sean Durkin’s slow burning thriller received an unfortunately small release in the UK, and I wish I’d seen it on the big screen; I think it would work more effectively. Which is not to say The Nest isn’t a good film, it’s a solid little thriller. Jude Law is entrepreneur Rory O’Hara, who is seemingly living the American dream with his wife Allison, and their child Ben, as well as Sam, Allison’s daughter from a previous relationship. Rory informs Allison they need to move (for the fourth time in ten years we learn) and a big opportunity has come up in London, which would mean moving the family to a huge old mansion in Surrey. Rory promises his wife that they will have enough money and land to build Allison her own stables; something that she has always wanted, and she can continue her job of teaching people to ride in the perfect setting. Initially, the move seems idyllic; they’re able to send Ben to the best school around, and as building of Allison’s stables commences; Rory is on the cusp of a major deal at work, which would net him a fortune. It all starts to unravel in fits and starts; Rory’s fortune that Allison was promised seems to never materialise, meaning that one day the builders working on her stables fail to show up to work, having not been paid. I’ve always enjoyed Law on screen, his display in Sam Mendes’ Road To Perdition (2002) is masterful, and he’s been consistently solid throughout his career. He’s also great in under seen and underrated submarine thriller Black Sea (2014). In the end The Nest doesn’t quite live up to its billing, the simmering scenes of a dissolving marriage are gripping but don’t quite climax in something fully satisfying. But it’s solid family drama, with some very good performances and a chilling tension that almost keeps you gripped to the finale. 6.9/10