Frightfest London 2025: ‘Odyssey’ Review
Stars: Polly Maberly, Rebecca Calder, Tom Davis, Mikael Persbrandt, Peter Ferdinando, Kellie Shirley | Written by Gerard Johnson, Austin Collings | Directed by Gerard Johnson
British director Gerard Johnson (Hyena, Muscle) returns with Odyssey, a horror-tinged British thriller that depicts a compelling descent into darkness and violence. Enlivened by a star-making performance from Polly Maberly, it’s a tension-fuelled journey that grips from start to finish.
Maberly plays Natasha Flynn, a tough-talking London estate agent whose business is secretly failing, due to dodgy business loans, her extravagant lifestyle and a sizeable cocaine habit. In desperation, Natasha agrees to hide a rival estate agent who has been kidnapped by some shady loan sharks, but when things get out of hand, she’s forced to turn to a mysterious former acquaintance known as The Viking (Mikael Persbrandt) for help.
Co-written by Johnson and Austin Collings, the script takes a slow-burn approach that works well, as the web around Natasha gets tighter and tighter before the story erupts into violence and chaos in the final act. On a similar note, the script functions equally well as a character study, with tantalising details being drip-fed throughout the story, with regard to her past.
Maberly (previously best known for playing Kitty in the 1995 TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice) is terrific as Natasha, delivering a complex performance that isn’t afraid to be unsympathetic – indeed, at certain points, you start wondering if we’re actually meant to be rooting for her downfall. Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandt (The Salvation) is equally good as The Viking, sparking intriguing, edgy chemistry with Maberly that has you scrutinising their every interaction for clues as to their previous relationship.
In addition, there’s strong support from former EastEnder Kellie Shirley as one of Natasha’s estate agent team and Jasmine Blackborow as a new recruit at the firm, while Guy Burnet makes a strong impression as Dan, one of the loan sharks who lures Natasha into the kidnap plot.
On top of that, Odyssey makes excellent use of some authentic London locations and is well shot by cinematographer Korsshan Schlauer, who exploits those locations for hidden menace.
In terms of the violence, without giving too much away, Johnson clearly enjoys the build-up (there’s a darkly funny scene involving weapons that will clearly be important for later), and he ensures that the ensuing horror is worth the wait, with a number of viscerally nasty kills.
However, that’s not to say that the film is entirely without flaws. Most notably, the script introduces a potentially supernatural element to the story at one point, seemingly without pay-off, though either way, it’s poorly handled and makes you wonder if you’ve missed something important.
In short, this is a darkly gripping thriller that lives up to the promise of its title and confirms Johnson as an underrated British talent. The score, by the director’s brother, The The’s Matt Johnson, is great too.
**** 4/5
Odyssey screened as part of this year’s London Frightfest.
