When it comes to tense, claustrophobic viewing, almost nothing matches Boiling Point. The Observer described the film – which follows a hectic London restaurant on the most catastrophic night of its existence – as “conjuring the raw experience of an inexorably accelerating panic attack.” Watching Stephen Graham battle debt and addiction as volatile head chef Andy – while his team try to contain his combustible personality long enough to finish serving customers – is an immersion in 94 minutes of brutal, jittery brilliance. No wonder another critic called it “the most stressful film of the year.”
Apparently, though, it’s more fun to star in. “It’s exhilarating!” says Vinette Robinson, who plays sous chef Carly in the movie and its new four-part TV adaptation. “It’s exciting because so much of it is off the cuff.”
