TV REVIEW: Southcliffe - Light Falls

After the slow-moving yet intense opening episode, Southcliffe continued with another tension- wrought instalment as we're introduced to the wider community of the small coastal town. Opening with a moment from the shooting itself, a brutal and shocking first scene, the episode once again moves back in time to focus on the events leading up to it. 

The focus of the first episode, the shooter Stephen Morton (Sean Harris), has less screen time here, but it works much more effectively; he becomes an almost spectral presence in his absence and a dark prophetic omen whenever he does appear. It leant a new layer to the proceedings as the aforementioned opening scene sees him get his revenge on Chris (Joe Dempsie), the returning soldier who tormented him, by shooting his young wife in bed next to him. His motivation is established quickly for the rest of the episode; he'll punish those who he felt treated him badly by targeting those people around them.

The resultant sense of dread creeps into every scene and makes seemingly innocuous moments all the more significant. Lines that should be throwaway, like a daughter commenting on her father nicking himself whilst shaving, carry much greater weight, simply through the association of blood. Once again, the sound was also used to startlingly good effect to maintain the discomfort caused by the visual scenes unfolding. Whether it is the oppressive silences that characterised much of the first episode or long, droning sounds that force their way into the scenes, it's consistently intrusive. 

Curiously, the expansion of Southcliffe to include two more families, as well as spending more time with Rory Kinnear's journalist David, doesn't make the show seem any larger. In fact, it is quite the opposite as the inner workings of these close-knit families feel claustrophobic and oppressive. With the episode moving confidently between the time periods, it also has a rather unsettling effect as you try to piece together where in the story you are and which characters are currently the ones in danger. 

The episode also works to establish a stark contrast between the residents of Southcliffe (both present and former) and those coming in from the inside. A particularly harsh moment was the gleeful journalist revelling in Stephen's entrapment whilst shots fire in the distance. It's a fairly damning comment on the way in which these unfolding events are covered by the press as everything becomes sensationalised whilst the residents are left to deal with the after-effects.

Southcliffe is a masterful exercise in control on Durkin's part; every aspect of the episode feels carefully constructed with every scene counting, every sound effect deliberately placed. In a year that has seen some outstanding British drama, Southcliffe is up there with the very best.

- Becky

You can read Becky's review of first episode The Hollow Shore here.

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TV REVIEW: Southcliffe - The Hollow Shore

As an audience, we're spoilt for choice with excellent crime dramas at the moment and Southcliffe, should the series continue in the same vein as the first episode, will be no exception. Directed by Sean Durkin (of Martha Marcy May Marlene - also well worth a look), Southcliffe tells the story of a tragic shooting in a sleepy coastal town through the build-up, the event itself and the subsequent fallout. It's bleak subject matter, but is handled sensitively by Tony Grisoni, the man also behind Channel 4's excellent drama Red Riding. The first episode focuses in the shooter himself, the mentally unstable Stephen (Sean Harris) and the returning soldier Chris (Joe Dempsie).

Opening in suitably shocking fashion with gunshots ripping through the quiet coastal air, Southcliffe then takes a step back to before the shootings take place. From there on in, the pace slows right down in order to continue the creeping sense of dread that permeates those opening scenes. Moody and atmospheric, Durkin allows shots to linger whether they are close-ups of his actors or simply of the gorgeous Kent scenery with its mists and gloom. It's both beautiful and threatening, a location that seems idyllic one minute and terrifyingly remote the next. The opening scenes demonstrate this stark contrast brilliantly; a woman gardening is interrupted by a gunshot that wounds her before a succession of shots of the quiet villages, punctuated by gunfire and the ominous approach of sirens. In these moments, the shooter is unclear, concealed within the mist.

This theme of concealment runs throughout the episode; Durkin isn't afraid to hide action behind door frames, just out of shot and creates the sense that this isn't just a puzzle for the characters, but for the audience, piecing together the events leading up to the shooting. Many things remain hidden in Southcliffe; Stephen and Chris are both reluctant to confess the truth about their respective circumstances to those around him. Whilst Chris manages to keep whatever he is hiding from his girlfriend under wraps, Stephen becomes exposed quickly by Chris and a relative, resulting in a deeply uncomfortable scene that leads directly into the shooting itself.

The sound, or rather the lack of it, is used to particularly great effect. There is no score, only music used for a specific purpose in certain scenes such as the party for the returning soldiers or the outdoor gig later in the episode. Even then, the music feels jarring and intrusive, out of step with the nearly silent world that these characters inhabit. This is demonstrated most in the fast-paced folk music after the ritual humiliation of Stephen in the woods. The silence that punctuates the other scenes proves to be just as unsettling, building into the mounting sense of dread.

Grisoni's script has not attempted justify Stephen's actions, serving more to offer an explanation as to why he attacks the residents of the community. Since The Killing, crime dramas have become less focused on the crime itself and more upon the ripples that run through the community in which it occurs, most recently seen in Broadchurch and Top of the Lake. With Southcliffe, there are an intriguing array of characters we are yet to see. Some are glimpsed in this episode, Shirley Henderson in particular, and we spend a fair amount of time with Rory Kinnear's journalist, who will shortly find himself pulled back to his home town to provide a unique perspective on the coverage.

An impressive opening for Southcliffe; bleak yes, but underscored by an emotional current that, should it continue, will make for a very interesting series indeed. The next episode airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.

- Becky

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