Summary

Vicky Knight & Esmé Creed-Miles shine with their onscreen chemistry.
The cinematography and sound create effective emotional moments.
Silver Haze focuses on expressive visuals rather than a strong narrative.

Silver Haze is an appropriate title for writer-director Sacha Polak’s movie, which feels like drifting through a nonsensical but very real wave of emotion. Leading Silver Haze is Vicky Knight as Franky, a nurse who is still looking for answers about the fire that left her badly scarred 15 years ago. Her time is taken up with work, caring for her alcoholic mother, and an unsatisfying relationship with her boyfriend. However, Franky is set on a path of transformation and healing when she meets Florence (Esmé Creed-Miles), a new patient.

ProsVicky Knight and Esmé Creed-Miles have amazing chemistry as the main charactersThe cinematography and sound make certain scenes breathtakingThe story is an effective portrayal of anger, forgiveness, and healing ConsThe narrative is jolted and somewhat confusing at times

Vicky Night & Esmé Creed-Miles Are A Natural Duo In Silver Haze

Knight and Creed-Miles have an easy onscreen rhythm, depicting the honeymoon phase of their characters’ relationship to its simmering tension and falling out. At first, Franky and Florence are softly in awe of each other. Their falling gently in love is completely believable and taking off to South End — after Franky’s family has a homophobic reaction — feels natural. Franky’s other key relationships are with her sister Leah (Charlotte Knight) and Florence’s grandmother Alice (Angela Bruce). Franky connects with Alice as her relationship with Florence falls apart, while some of her frustration is reflected in her sister.

Franky’s romance with Florence grants her temporary freedom from this consuming anger until Florence suggests that they throw a Molotov cocktail through Jane’s window. Franky then has a silent, haunting vision of her half-brother that illustrates the potential consequences of her quest for revenge. Florence’s behavior becomes increasingly erratic, and the film handles this aspect well, showcasing its effect on her relationship with Franky.

The latter half of
Silver Haze
demonstrates that this is not Florence’s story of finding herself, but Franky’s.

Things change when Florence is no longer a balm for Franky’s anger and starts feeding it. When Florence is no longer there, Franky continues to learn from Alice, who is dying from cancer. Florence’s own story is something of a loose end, as she is the only one of these women who seemingly does not make peace with her life before the movie’s end. However, the latter half of Silver Haze demonstrates that this is not Florence’s story of finding herself, but Franky’s.

Silver Haze’s Cinematography & Sound Are Palpable

Silver Haze opens with a scene of close-up shots of Franky delicately rolling a cigarette, focusing on her hands and face. A similarl scene later on depicts one of Franky’s friends donning glittery makeup while Franky films her dancing. Multiple scenes of Franky and Florence out dancing reflect the emotions at different points in their relationship. A percussive movie soundtrack accompanying the close-up shots comprises an intimate expression of these characters, with incredible life in these moments. These scenes translate well as moments when Franky is feeling all her anger or none at all.

During the scene when Franky first talks about the fire, Florence is teaching her how to swim. The candid interaction is seemingly filmed with the camera sitting on the water and is accompanied by Franky continuing to speak in a voice-over. Later, a slightly unsteady camera shows her and Florence exploring a field, ending up covered in mud. These technical aspects of Silver Haze are masterfully executed within the context of the story, showing how anger and healing go hand in hand.

Silver Haze Silver Haze is a drama film by writer-director Sacha Polak, released in 2023. Franky is a young nurse obsessed with taking revenge against anyone after a traumatic event from her past holds onto her mental state. Franky soon finds solace when she lets her walls down and falls in love with a patient named Florence, who moves her away from home and begins to help her heal.Director Sacha Polak Studio(s) EMU Films , Viking Film Writers Sacha Polak Cast Vicky Knight , Esme Creed-Miles , Charlotte Knight , Archie Brigden , Angela Bruce Runtime 102 Minutes Release Date March 1, 2024

Silver Haze’s Strength Is In Expression Rather Than Narrative

Silver Haze is dominated by clear, symbolic motifs. Calling back to Leah’s glittery makeup video, the glitter motif translates to a kind of protective glamor. The scenes of Franky swimming in the ocean with Florence or her family convey a similar feeling of safety. Other minute details seem to represent something in terms of character development, even if I can’t quite discern what. Yet in terms of a hard narrative, Silver Haze sometimes feels like it is meandering without reason.

Silver Haze
is an incredibly emotionally expressive movie with a somewhat shaky narrative.

I found it somewhat difficult to pin down the relationships when Franky’s family is first introduced. The movie abruptly skips over some moments, such as when it shows Franky and Florence talking, then cuts to Florence talking to someone else, and Franky walking up demanding why she walked away. Silver Haze is an incredibly emotionally expressive movie with a somewhat shaky narrative. However, even if some of the finer points of the plot don’t make sense and the pacing starts and stops, the best way to enjoy Silver Haze is not to think about it, but to feel it.

Silver Haze

is now playing in theaters and will be available on VOD on March 12.