Tom Stourton, Georgina Campbell, Charly Clive
Andrew Gaynord’s (The Characters, Netflix) superb feature debut is a dark comedy about the horrors of that most modern, yet timeless of maladies – social anxiety and paranoia – written by Tom Palmer and leading cast member Tom Stourton.
It’s Pete’s (Stourton) birthday and the old gang from college are reuniting for a weekend party at a country manor. At first cautiously excited and optimistic, Pete’s head begins to spin as one by one his friends slowly turn against him, and soon he is riddled with fear. He can’t work it out: is he being punished? Is he being paranoid? Or is this all part of some sick joke?
Treading a fine line between black comedy and disturbing psychological drama, Gaynord brilliantly builds Pete’s suspicion and his attempts to connect with his friends into moments of high tension, hilarious discomfort and profound cringe, but also unexpected poignancy. A witty, uproarious calling card for its writers and director, All My Friends Hate Me‘s release is also impeccably well-timed for an audience well-versed in the horrors of social anxiety (the British) as they tentatively emerge from the chrysalis of a lengthy pandemic.