He tells her that the village is quaint and doesn't seem that bad, to which Iona wryly smiles and says something to the effect of, “try living here.” While Marcus and Vaughn might be here for a good time, they get to leave when their vacation is over. They meet a local woman named Iona and Vaughn strikes up a conversation. Into this come two well-off blokes and while the narrative doesn’t focus on it, you can see class dynamics at play.Īn early example is the first night the friends are in town. Even though it’s far-removed from small town America, the plights of the working class could very well be applied here. The village has seen better days and the residents are making due the best they can, working multiple jobs to keep afloat. Weight is also given to the people living in the remote town. He seems to be interested in the dynamics between people and how far that trust can go before snapping. What I loved about Calibre was how Matt Palmer brings different elements and character to what’s a fairly typical story. The film is gorgeously filmed and is a sight to see, even when you might not want to watch what’s happening. He brings character and life to this struggling village in Scotland and truly makes the location a second character. Györi’s camerawork is beautiful as he frames shots of the stark wilderness and the village, bleaching the color palette into subdued grays and earthy tones.

You can feel the weight of fifteen years pressing down on the two friends, as they scramble to save themselves from the terrible situation they’ve unwittingly found themselves in. But in the hands of Matt Palmer and cinematographer Márk Györi, the story takes on new dimension and weight. Best friends, making terrible decisions that turn into more terrible decisions, compounding their problems and culpability.

Calibre netflix review imdb