Lynn + Lucy

After multiple award wins and a critically acclaimed digital release, Fyzal Boulifa’s haunting and heart-breaking drama Lynn + Lucy hits Blu-ray courtesy of the British Film Institute.

Starring newcomer Roxanne Scrimshaw (in her first ever role) and Nichola Burley as the titular Lynn and Lucy respectively, this gripping social-realist tragedy is a dark and difficult watch. The film follows the two lifelong friends as their friendship is tested in the most extreme circumstances when a harrowing tragedy befalls Lucy’s new-born child. Trigger warnings are in full effect with this oft-distressing study of motherhood and the horrors that, under severe circumstances, can be birthed along with the child.

Fronted by two awards-calibre performances from Scrimshaw and Burley, Boulifa’s film may appear to be somewhat quiet and at times even uneventful on the surface, but reading between the lines reveals a painful study of friendship, class and community. Above all else, Lynn + Lucy highlights the fragility of community in the wake of a scandal and the ensuing mob culture that can swallow a town whole. This is a darkly disturbing Ken Loach-esque drama that deals with incredibly complex themes, complimented by the hauntingly beautiful and sparsely bleak cinematography from Taina Galis.

This stunning Blu-ray release from the BFI is packed with fascinating special features, including socially-distanced Zoom interviews with the cast and director, casting and audition footage and director Fyzal Boulifa’s Cannes-winning 2012 short film The Curse. 

Lynn + Lucy is a difficult but rewarding watch, sensitively handling complex themes while fronted by two of the year’s finest performances.