This one seriously boils over
Want to never eat in a restaurant ever again or at least feel somewhat guilty about what hospitality staff have to go through on a particularly busy night? If so, we’ve got the film for you – or rather, Netflix does.
Following its short run in cinemas back in January, Boiling Point focuses on an especially stressful evening in a popular London restaurant, right around Christmas time.
Stephen Graham, clearly under some pressure before he even walks in the door, plays a charismatic and commanding head chef who finds his personal and professional worlds falling apart in real-time.
Playing out over the course of around 90 minutes, Boiling Point is shot in one continuous take, bringing the viewer into every corner of the restaurant, inside and out.
Rude customers, preoccupied staff, conflicts of interest, annoying influencer-types, snarky health inspectors, old friends turned heated rivals and an overall breakdown in vital communication all play a part as the tension builds and builds.
There’s great attention to detail here, lending the film an almost documentary-style feel at times.
Graham is brilliant as ever, presented as a walking time bomb and a genuinely flawed human being you want to root for, even under the most difficult of circumstances.
He’s ably matched by an impressive rotating cast, including a fantastic performance from Vinette Robinson (Sherlock) as an equally under-fire chef and Jason Fleyming (Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) as an unforgiving critic.
Admittedly, the film collapses a little under its own pressure-cooker narrative as some slightly over-the-top dramatic episodes get thrown into the mix – but the overall effect is nonetheless incredibly stirring.
And stressful. Don’t forget stressful.
Boiling Point is available to watch on Netflix right now.
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