She wanted a holiday romance. She got something that'll haunt you longer than the seagulls.
1970's: A lonely divorcee, Nellie, meets widower Frank on a trip to the seaside. Nellie lets herself be swept away by the hope of connection. But as the seagulls circle overhead and Frank begins to ask too many questions, Nellie realises she will never be able to escape a monstrous family secret ...
Acting
Hesmondhalgh's face tells three decades of pain in silence
Direction
Mitchell weaponizes seaside nostalgia into claustrophobic dread
Practical Effects
1970s authenticity that makes the horror feel discovered, not staged
Director
Joanne Mitchell
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Mitchell co-founded the Yorkshire-based film collective before directing; this short became her calling card for feature work.
The chip shop scene's mundane horror—Nellie ordering for two while Frank watches—reportedly required seventeen takes to nail the precise dissociation.
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