Magpie (2024)

Following its premiere at Halloween Frightfest last weekend, Sam Yates' thriller featuring a cast of familiar faces gets a digital release from Signature.

Ben (Shazad Latif from Penny Dreadful and Star Trek: Discovery) and Annette (Daisy Ridley from the trio of Disney Star Wars movie sequels) are thrilled when their young daughter is cast in a costume drama. However, when author Ben gets to meet star Alicia (Mathilda Lutz from Coraline Fargeat's REVENGE) he immediately becomes a bit too enamoured and the frequent trips to the studio lead to pancakes at her place, and we all know what that means.

And that's one of MAGPIE's key strengths - letting you think you know what's going on when perhaps you don't. Much is made of Ben and Annette's rocky relationship, with Annette's career seemingly on hold while they raise their two children. A business meeting between Annette and former boss Richard (Alistair Petrie from decent gothics EIGHT FOR SILVER and VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN) becomes excruciating due to the presence of Annette's baby son Lucas and there's the suggestion Annette may be on medication for depression.

The thing that carries MAGPIE through to its satisfying conclusion, though, is the acting, which is just the right side of melodrama to keep the whole thing believable, at least for the running time of the movie. A perfectly entertaining adultery-themed thriller for a winter's evening. Here's the trailer:

MAGPIE is out on Digital from Signature Entertainment on Monday 11th November 2024