Do you believe in life after love? So goes Cher’s dance anthem, and it’s the eternal quandary also probed by Neil Ely and Lloyd Eyre-Morgan’s funny yet touching drama. As well as writing and co-directing, Eyre-Morgan stars as Benji, a thirtysomething lonely heart yearning for genuine connection, only to be let down by a string of bad boyfriends. After his recent breakup with Jake (David Tag), a hunky personal trainer with a closeted double life, Benji descends into a whirl of drinking, drugs and casual hookups – cheap highs to numb the pain. A weekend getaway to Amsterdam – the city where he and Jake went during their clandestine relationship – further opens old wounds.
Though grappling with heavy issues such as body image, family rejection and toxic masculinity, Departures never veers into maudlin sentimentality, favouring instead dark comedy and a poppy visual style. Through dynamic elliptical editing, Benji’s self-destructive spiral and his memories with Jake blur into a nonlinear narrative that echoes the mind-shattering effects of a broken heart. Eyre-Morgan’s strong chemistry with Tag ballasts the lead role, and much of the film is driven by Benji’s internal monologue, delivered with self-deprecating humour and raw honesty.
At the same time, the reliance on voiceover as a storytelling device occasionally causes the momentum to falter, especially during emotional scenes. Instead of letting the visuals do the talking, the voiceover steps in to verbalise the characters’ feelings, and the need to provide multiple backstories through flashback veers into over-exposition. Still, Departures remains a highly thoughtful exploration of love and identity, and an excellent showcase for northern talents on film.
• Departures is in UK and Irish cinemas from 17 April.
