True Things is a 2021 British psychological drama film directed by Harry Wootliff, starring Ruth Wilson and Tom Burke. The screenplay co-written by Wootliff and Molly Davies, was based on the 2011 novel True Things about Me by Deborah Kay Davies.[2] The film received positive reviews from critics.
| True Things | |
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| Directed by | Harry Wootliff |
| Screenplay by |
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| Based on | True Things About Me by Deborah Kay Davies |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Picturehouse Entertainment |
Release dates |
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Running time | 102 minutes[1] |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Kate is sleepwalking through life when a chance sexual encounter with a charismatic stranger awakens her. High on infatuation she finds herself inexplicably drawn to this mysterious man. Hoping he will provide the escape she so desperately desires, she embarks on an emotionally dangerous journey that slowly begins to consume her.
Ruth Wilson and Jude Law produced the film, alongside The Bureau, BBC Films and the BFI.[3]
True Things had its World Premiere at Venice,[4] and also screened at Toronto[5] and The London Film Festival,[6] where it won the IWC Shaffhausen award.[7] Samuel Goldwyn Films acquired North American distribution rights to the film.[8] The film was released in the United Kingdom by Picturehouse Entertainment on 1 April 2022.
Wootliff has discussed what appealed to her about the book, as well as the universality of the material for both men and women, “what I loved about it was the feeling of infatuation, of addiction to somebody... you know those relationships where you think ‘why did I ever go there?’ It's one of those.”[9]
A sentiment articulated by critic Mark Kermode: "Anyone who has ever defined themselves through the eyes of others, or sought self-worth in unworthy romance, will recognise both the agony and ecstasy of Kate’s predicament."[10]
True Things received positive reviews from critics. It holds an 82% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 44 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The critical consensus states: "Elevated by its stars' magnetic chemistry, True Things mines complex, character-driven drama from an ill-advised romance."[11] The film's lack of easy solutions, in relation to the protagonist being a complex and multi-layered female character, was noticed by Sight and Sound's Rebecca Harrison: "It feels frustrating because it’s meant to: this is what it’s like to care for this character... a film that refuses to simplify Kate’s experience or force the character to give everything of herself away."[12] The Telegraph's Tim Robey commented on the way society pigeon holes women like Kate, "There's something affecting about her struggle to be a normal person, doing what normal people do, while independently rebelling against the drudgery required of her to fit in." Also stating the role was Ruth Wilson's "best film work to date."[13] The Times' Kevin Mayer points to the inherent contradictons of complex and emotionally-led female characters, that is a cornerstone of Wootliff's film style, "Wootliff and Wilson create a central character who is irrational, sometimes infuriating, but always intensely sympathetic."[14]