Bait is a 2019 British drama film written and directed by Mark Jenkin. Starring Edward Rowe as a struggling fisherman, the film deals with the tensions that arise between locals and tourists in a Cornish fishing village against a backdrop of second homes, short-term lets, and gentrification.
Bait | |
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![]() Theatrical release poster | |
Directed by | Mark Jenkin |
Written by | Mark Jenkin |
Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Mark Jenkin |
Edited by | Mark Jenkin |
Production company | Early Day Films |
Distributed by | BFI Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 89 minutes |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Martin Ward is a fisherman in a picturesque Cornish village. He struggles to make ends meet fishing without a boat, while his brother Steven uses their late father's vessel to offer cruise trips to visiting tourists.
Meanwhile, tensions arise between Martin and the out-of-town Leigh family, who use the harbour-front 'Skipper's Cottage' they bought from Martin and Steven as a seasonal holiday home and short-term rental business.
Jenkin filmed Bait using a vintage hand-cranked Bolex camera, using 16mm monochrome film that he hand processed.[1] Shooting locations include Gooninnis House in St Agnes, Charlestown and West Penwith, in Cornwall.[2]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 39 reviews, with an average score of 8.5/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "As visually distinctive as it is narratively satisfying, Bait blends a classic aesthetic with timely themes to produce a thrillingly original and uniquely enriching drama."[3] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[4]
Writing in The Observer, Mark Kermode gave a glowing review, describing the film as 'a genuine modern masterpiece, which establishes Jenkin as one of the most arresting and intriguing British film-makers of his generation.'[5] He later named Bait his favourite film of both the year and the decade.[6] Peter Bradshaw in The Guardian called the film 'intriguing and unexpectedly watchable', in a four-star review that remarked on the experimental nature of the film.[7]
Year | Festival or Institution | Category | Nominees | Result | Citation |
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2019 | British Independent Film Awards | Best Director | Mark Jenkin | Nominated | [8] |
Best British Independent Film | Mark Jenkin, Kate Byers, Linn Waite | Nominated | |||
Breakthrough Producer | Kate Byers, Linn Waite | Won | |||
Best Editing | Mark Jenkin | Nominated | |||
Edinburgh International Film Festival | Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film | Mark Jenkin | Nominated | [9] | |
Galway Film Fleadh | Best International Film | Mark Jenkin | Nominated | [10] | |
IndieLisboa International Independent Film Festival | Audience Award for Best Feature Film | Mark Jenkin | Won | [11] | |
International Competition - Grand Prize City of Lisbon | Mark Jenkin | Nominated | |||
Istanbul International Film Festival | Golden Tulip Award | Mark Jenkin | Nominated | [12] | |
Montreal Festival of New Cinema | Prix de l'expérimentation | Mark Jenkin | Nominated | [10] | |
Stockholm International Film Festival | Best Director | Mark Jenkin | Won | [13] | |
Best Film | Mark Jenkin | Nominated | |||
New Horizons Film Festival | Audience Award for Best Film | Mark Jenkin | Won | [14] | |
Grand Prix | Mark Jenkin | Won | |||
British Academy Film Awards | Outstanding British Film | Mark Jenkin, Kate Byers, and Linn Waite | Nominated | [15] | |
Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer | Mark Jenkin (Writer/Director); Kate Byers, Linn Waite (Producers) | Won | |||
2020 | Crested Butte Film Festival | Best Narrative Feature | Mark Jenkin | Won | [16] |
Mark Kermode's Best Film of the Year | |
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Best Film |
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Best Film of the Decade |
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