The class barrier breaks down violently in this thriller from the director of The Cottage...

Writer and director Paul Andrew Williams received five well-earned awards for London to Brighton, but then followed this promising debut feature with The Cottage, a disappointing attempt at comedy-horror. Cherry Tree Lane is a return to the serious, grittier subject matter that gained Williams recognition.

A middle-class couple in their forties are subjected to an evening of terror when three of their son's contemporaries force their way into their home, seeking revenge. Played out in real-time, Cherry Tree Lane begins slowly at 7.52pm when the highly-strung, irritable, not particularly loving couple Christine and Michael sit down to dinner, and ends shortly after 9pm when their son, Sebastian, returns home to unknowingly receive his “grasser's” punishment.

Williams gradually builds tension after a silent opening with limited dialogue as viewers are subjected to bearing witness to Christine and Michael's stilted and painfully uncomfortable conversation. Twice interrupted from their civilised dinner by unexpected callers, Michael's insistence on turning the TV on to provide some distraction from their awkward relationship, masks Christine's doorway confrontation, allowing the three disillusioned youths easy access.

Clueless imbeciles, the unorganised intruders argue over who gets to steal what and who'll knife “Seb” first. Teddy is in charge of withdrawing Michael's money while Rian is the uncompromising ring-leader and Asad the most interesting character study; Asad presents the paradox of the almost considerate half-decent intruder caught up in something he doesn't really want to be party to, apologising for one of Michael's injuries, offering him a spliff and bizarrely threatening: “I know I just got a drink for you from the kitchen but I will cut you if you make any noise.”

Williams presents the three attackers as from a completely different world from their victims, as they don't understand Christine's job selling advertising and are unimpressed by their alcohol and DVD preferences: “Half these films are foreign – Seb, ain't foreign, is he?” The dialogue could be ad-libbed by the actors themselves but coupled with entirely convincing performances is appropriately lewd: “Your boy's a stupid fucking cunt – too fucking dumb to be alive”, “Tell-tales will come back and bite you on the arse”...

The characters are a touch clichéd in their reliance on drugs (“If it wasn't for weed, I'd be popping myself”) and insistence on calling each other “blood” and “bruv” but Williams adds in nice little touches like the relaxed youths helping themselves to digestives before giving a beating or their universal observation that with so many TV channels available “you just end up flicking through them - don't watch anything for more than thirty seconds.” The introduction of the two girls who call round with an axe, bringing their little brother, Oscar, in school uniform, feels a little far-removed from reality.

Cherry Tree Lane is well-suited to a three set play in its compact claustrophobic action. Williams builds tension through a series of extreme close-ups, keeping the worst violence out of shot and using haunting piano music. His strong cast give compelling disturbing performances with the traumatised couple desperately trying to save their son – a particularly tense moment stands out when Michael squirms around like a frenzied fortune-telling fish trying to free himself. House invasion for the hoody generation, Cherry Tree Lane effectively plays on everyone's fear of having their comfort bubble broken.

Director: Paul Andrew Williams
Writers: Paul Andrew Williams
Running Time: 77 mins
Certificate: 18
Starring: Rachael Blake, Tom Butcher, Ashley Chin, Jumayn Hunter, Sonny Muslim

Cherry Tree Lane opens in the UK on the 10th of September

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