• Release year: 2025
• Director: Harry Sherriff.
• Producers: Tom Leatherbarrow and Laurence Tratalos.
• Screenplay by: Laurence Tratalos.
• Cinematography by: Bart Bazaz.
• Music by: Nir Perlman.

Shotgun Commentary: the amount of humour in this melancholic film is as puzzling as it is hypnotic.

Review

Misper is one of those dramas that makes you laugh as you watch increasingly depressing events taking place, making you wonder what kind of person you are. Hopefully, one with good humour, otherwise you’ll definitely not enjoy this feature.

Bitter and sweet

The story follows Leonard (Samuel Blenkin) the bellhop/handyman/bit-of-everything guy really of a rundown hotel. He has a crush on a co-worker of his but, suddenly, she goes missing. Her disappearance affects all of her co-workers greatly, none as much as Leonard. He goes through all the stages of grief and tries to make sense of what happened, with more or less luck in each attempt.

The narrative is mostly an exploration of grief, a guided tour through emotional pain, with the character of Leonard as a tour guide. He interacts with all the relevant people in her missing co-worker’s life, trying to make sense of a loss that doesn’t offer any. As is to be expected, some of the characters are haunted by what-ifs. They retrace their last interaction with her over and over, wondering if they could’ve prevented the tragedy by making a different decision, the end result weighing heavily on them.

However, this film also offers another very common way to cope with loss: humour. Throughout the whole film, all characters use the dryest humour to cope with their misfortunes, whether those include the confirmed loss of a co-worker or of their jobs at the hotel, both of which seem quite imminent. With the most deadpanned of deliveries, the cast presents the perfect image of hopelessness, a feeling that seems to rule over the nearly empty hotel and all those in it.

Like character, like location

Blenkin makes Leonard relatable in the most depressing way possible. His character does not hide away from grief, despite trying to keep it somewhat together during working hours. It is easy to find yourself in every single one of his reactions and mental processes. He is sad, but also hilarious and incredibly easy to like. Still, his attitude would lose a lot of its punch if it weren’t for the wonderful supporting cast that accompanies his performance. Every single character he interacts with is spot-on in its own unique way, creating the perfect balance of tragicomedy.

Speaking of which, it is crucial to mention the visuals. The photography is absolutely gorgeous. Cold, symmetric and incredibly tasteful. It invites a combination of eeriness and calm, keeping that expectation of impending doom throughout the whole piece. Like something is about to blow up amidst the tense silence of the seaside hotel… It also has a couple of incredibly intense moments of a trademark horror film, but those are more anecdotal than anything else.

Roll cameras

Last but not least, there is a theme that remains in the background through most of the film, but pops up quite extremely at the very end, that is: humanity’s innate morbid curiosity. The sickly need to learn all about the most gruesome murders and tragedies that seems to be a common denominator for the great majority of people in the world (it would be pretty safe to say all, considering the type of content that is usually popular, but let’s give a few individuals the benefit of the doubt).

It is particularly interesting when put into context of where this film was screened. Misper was part of the 2025 Ediburgh International Film Festival which, if you have been following this blog, you’ll know, also featured the film The Zodiac Killer Project (2025). These two movies would’ve made the perfect double-feature session for anyone in the mood to explore morbid fascination and the rise of the true-crime genre, a type of content that has been unstoppable for decades now.

All in all, Misper is the type of film that will make you laugh, stress, empathise and overall ride the emotional stress of a terrible situation along with its protagonist. It is a simple narrative in which every moment is relevant, every conversation is worth your attention, and every gesture is absolutely flawless. If you happen to like chill thrillers or are in the mood for a truly great film, do not miss this feature.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Humanity’s fixation with death is among the few things that never has and never will change.
• In the face of calamity, one can always laugh, and that’s an oddly comforting thought.
• Wondering what if won’t change the past, don’t waste your present with it.

What’s your take? Have you watched Misper? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀