MAGPIE - Daisy Ridley Offers Her Best Performance to Date

Anette (Daisy Ridley) and Ben (Shazad Latif) live a seemingly privileged life. As Magpie begins, their young daughter Matilda (Hiba Ahmed) has recently been accepted to play a part in a film production, while Anette has landed a highly anticipated interview. On the day of her interview, the family’s babysitter fails to show up. Anette is forced to take the couple’s newborn infant to the interview, since Ben is taking their daughter to her first day on set. After establishing the setup, Magpie begins to peel back the layers of the relationship, slowly revealing the elements that push the story forward.

The situation is all too common for many mothers. Raising young children while trying to balance a career and maintain a household is overwhelming. In the case of Anette, her situation is further complicated with an absentee husband. Ben had been away from home promoting a new book, something Anette holds against him as she is quick to point out during a tense discussion.

With Magpie, director Sam Yates explores the dissenting effects of marital disillusion and the often-overlooked challenges of motherhood. On the surface, the plot is straightforward. Ben is in midlife crisis mode, while Anette grapples with an existential crisis. This leads both parties to internally blame the other for their situation. Without effectively airing out their grievances, a growing web of deception builds around them.

As Ben frequents his daughter’s filming days, he begins to develop an affection for the production’s glamorous and controversial lead actress, Alicia (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz). The chemistry between them slowly builds, leading Ben to a path of male entitlement. Anette becomes suspicious of her husband’s intentions as the tabloid fodder concerning Alicia’s new mystery man increases, causing her to further lose grasp of reality.

This situation takes a toll on Anette as her suspicions lead her down a path of obsessive mistrust and delirium. Her disillusionment causes her to question herself. Frustrated with the reflection staring back at her in the mirror, Anette cracks the mirror with her bare hands. Magpie suggests Anette might be unstable but never fully commits to providing a definitive answer. Instead, the plot device is fertile ground for Ben to consistently gaslight his wife. Her growing obsession to uncover the truth parallels her husband’s growing obsession with Alicia, leading both towards an increasingly irreconcilable path.

Where Magpie manages to stand apart in an otherwise typical premise is in the way it has crafted a slow-burn thriller shrouded in growing intrigue. Shades of Hitchcock are apparent throughout, with several elements serving as a callback to the famed filmmaker. Settings are used to convey cryptic ambiances. An ethereal score from composer Isobel Waller-Bridge creates an unsettling mood.

Cinematographer Laura Bellingham hides mystery in dark corners from its characters while desires are manifested by esoteric dreamscapes. Magpie also utilizes a clever plot device by telling a story within a story. The production where Alicia and Matilda co-star, runs parallel to the growing infatuation between the actress and Ben. This added layer permits the lines between truth and deception to be blurred, not only for the audience but for the characters as well.

The original story became nascent in Daisy Ridley’s mind and was penned by writer Tom Bateman. From its origination, the actress has her prints all over the production. Her performance is what ultimately makes Magpie work. Ridley excels in traversing her character’s arc from abandonment to fighting to regain control of her life. Ridley demonstrates the ample range of emotions yet always manages to stay within the lines of stoicism. This approach remarkably adds to the suspense. Ridley also plays on the idea that her character may be unstable without ever fully crossing that plane, enveloping the film with added mystery and thrill. It is easily her most commanding performance to date.

After trekking through dense woods, Magpie, eventually arrives to the esplanade with immensely crowd-pleasing revelations. But Magpie is too clever to revert to being straightforward, leaving much discussion to be had afterward. With Yates expertly balancing all the elements at play and Ridley’s powerhouse performance, Magpie is one of this year’s SXSW festival’s most satisfying offerings.