British filmmaker Paul Andrew Williams’ previous film Bull was a revenge thriller with a deep darkness around its edges that bled into the film’s shocking finale. He brings a similar sensibility to his latest, Dragonfly, which plays like a horror-inflected twist on a Mike Leigh-style domestic drama.
The film stars Oscar-nominees Andrea Riseborough and Brenda Blethyn as two women largely forgotten by society, battling loneliness in their neighbouring suburban houses. Elsie (Blethyn) is an elderly widow whose son, John (Jason Watkins), has arranged for carers to visit after a recent fall left her injured. Elsie prefers her independence but John is adamant she needs help, no doubt driven by his guilt about never visiting. Next door, Colleen (Riseborough) appears to have no friends or family, living on benefits with only her bull terrier, Sabre, for company.
When Colleen befriends Elsie, it’s unclear what her motivations are. There is a deep sadness within her which Riseborough masterfully lets seep into every self-deprecating quip or rageful outburst, but she and Williams deliberately keep Colleen’s intentions ambiguous. The film leaves room for the viewer’s own assumptions – and prejudices – to colour how we perceive Colleen and her actions, inviting us to suspect she might be a grifter looking to exploit a vulnerable woman. It leads to a creeping sense of dread throughout the film, and Williams cultivates this atmosphere in the unnerving way he frames Colleen and Sabre.
The added complication of John further heightens the tension, as he is rightly wary of this stranger’s growing influence over his mother. His protestations are met with frustration from Elsie, who is quick to point out that if he lived closer or visited more often, she wouldn’t need anyone else. It is John’s meddling that sets in motion a fierce finale – one that feels both shocking and inevitable. Dragonfly’s startling final moments linger in the mind, but so too does its stark and beautifully acted portrait of two lonely people finding solace in each other.
