Treacle Jr. (2010)

83% of critics liked it
(18 reviews)
28% want to see it
(79 ratings)

A man finds himself caught in the middle of a love affair gone sour in this drama from British filmmaker Jamie Thraves. One morning, for no clear reason, Tom (Tom Fisher) leaves his home in Birmingham, abandoning his wife and kids to make his way to London where he lives on the streets. After a… More A man finds himself caught in the middle of a love affair gone sour in this drama from British filmmaker Jamie Thraves. One morning, for no clear reason, Tom (Tom Fisher) leaves his home in Birmingham, abandoning his wife and kids to make his way to London where he lives on the streets. After a run-in with a gang of teenage thugs, Tom ends up in a hospital emergency room, where he meets Aidan (Aiden Gillen), an eccentric man who seems determined to befriend Tom whether he likes it or not. Aidan invites Tom to stay at his apartment, and with nowhere else to go, Tom accepts. There Tom meets Aidan's girlfriend Linda (Riann Steele), but he soon learns they have a severely dysfunctional relationship and Linda treats Tom like a verbal and physical punching bag. Tom also finds himself looking after Aidan's cat, which he has to hide from Linda since she's allergic to felines. Treacle Jr was an official selection at the 2010 BFI London Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 25 min.
Directed By: Jamie Thraves
Written By: Jamie Thraves
Genres: Drama, Comedy

Critic Reviews

Charlie Lyne, Ultra Culture
Now you know what to do if Harry Potter is sold out.
, Film4
A charming, low-key Britflick, Treacle Jr boasts a great performance from Gillen, but Thraves' labour of love feels as directionless as its characters.
Philip French, Observer [UK]
The film has its moments and Aidan Gillen is impressive as the Hibernian hanger-on from hell, but it's a slight affair.
Allan Hunter, Daily Express
Treacle Jr is a little British gem that blossoms into an endearing salute to friendship and the power of positive thinking.
Charlotte O'Sullivan, This is London
Treacle Jr won't win Oscars or swell the bank balances of cast and crew. In other words, it ain't The King's Speech. But I'd choose it over Tom Hooper's film any day, because it shows a London I recognise.
Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail [UK]
Its portrait of an unconventional, curiously needy friendship developing in an inhuman environment does hold the attention.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
Gillen gives a, loose-limbed comic performance, often funny, sometimes very sad.
Nigel Andrews, Financial Times
Gillen steals the film, all whirly armed brio and Sylvester the Cat lisp. But it doesn't take much stealing.
Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph
A thoughtful tale of mid-life crisis and the comfort of strangers, it's gruff, funny and stealthily poignant, with a handmade sincerity you'd struggle to fake.
Emma Simmonds, Little White Lies
Entertaining but a touch slight, one thing that's in no doubt is that Treacle Jnr's heart is in the right place; it is, after all, a film named after a kitten.
Damon Wise, Radio Times
This is a nicely ragged and offbeat mismatched-buddy movie that, though it becomes a little predictable by the end, makes an unexpected hero of a profoundly irritating character.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
Thraves keeps us engaged with the central relationship even when his filmmaking gets a bit pushy.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Engaging British drama that's both darkly funny and ultimately moving, thanks to impressive improv-style direction from Jamie Thraves and terrific performances from the two leads.
Cath Clarke, Time Out
This is low budget and it shows, but it's clear Thraves has still got something to say.
Emma Dibdin, Total Film
Gillen's manic turn is the attention grabber, but Fisher's quietly wounded man-on-the verge is a solid anchor.
David Hughes, Empire Magazine
A gritty story that manages to take a refreshing attitude to the lives of the less fortunate.
Anton Bitel, Eye for Film
the two central performances alone are enough to keep us engaged and entertained all the way through to the treacly - but not too treacly - end.

Read all 17 critic reviews

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Daniel P

Improvised feeling, natural, moving and finally uplifting, Treacle Jr. reminded me a little of a British mumblecore (that sub-genre that threatened, though never quite managed, to take off towards the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011). Tom Fisher plays Tom, a… More
Improvised feeling, natural, moving and finally uplifting, Treacle Jr. reminded me a little of a British mumblecore (that sub-genre that threatened, though never quite managed, to take off towards the end of 2010 and beginning of 2011). Tom Fisher plays Tom, a married man with a child who for reasons unknown, ups and leaves without warning from his home in Birmingham with no possessions save the clothes he stands in, and makes for the streets of London (he later sort-of explains "I have a problem being around people... I just want to be on my own!", but it's never revealed *exactly* what the 'dealbreaker' was). Faced with living on the streets, he wanders parks until a possible threat from a teenage gang leads to him running straight into a tree, to a hospital to get treatment, where he meets Aidan in the waiting room. Initially irritating, Aidan speaks with a heavy speech impediment and is possibly developmentally challenged (though this is up for interpretation), and is also initially profoundly irritating. With nothing much to do, Tom allows Aidan to follow him around London and the two eventually bond over a kitten (the titular Treacle Jr.). During the later stages the story does indulge in a few too many coincidences and the ending is possibly a bit too sugary and predictable (though it feels deserved), but for the most part Treacle Jr. is an exceptionally fresh, original and invigorating piece of cinema, shot on a tiny budget with a minimal crew, mostly on the fly and in sequential order. The performances of Aidan Gillen and Tom Fisher are truly wonderful (Gillen plays an initially annoying character but by the end you'll be in love with him, I guarantee it), and Riann Steele is also excellent as Aidan's unlikely girlfriend (her manipulation over him is just one of the many interesting shades of grey that ground the film). A gem.

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Treacle Jr. (2010)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Daniel P

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