Detachable

Directed by Joshua Carver

2026

Film screened at the Beeston Film Festival in the Midlands

Detachable begins with a deliciously simple inciting incident – wherein two children, a girl and her younger brother, played respectively by Maggie and Fraser Croston-Clegg, find a digital hearing aid in the grass.

It’s a simple MacGuffin, one that’s initially shrouded in mystery, one which writer and director Joshua Carver compares to Kyle MacLachlan finding a human ear in David Lynch’s Blue Velvet.

For Carver, the hearing aid is part of a greater story, one that’s effectively drawn out over the twenty-five-minute runtime of Detachable.

The dialogue and seamless chemistry between the real-life siblings is clear to see. Maggie’s portrayal of an older sister frustrated yet protective of her younger brother is masterful. Similarly, the petulance and cheekiness of Fraser makes for a convincing and satisfying dynamic.

The narrative is split almost equally between the children’s boredom at their block of flats, to the story of a young woman, played by Libby Welsh, who wakes up alone in her car. Their bickering contrasted with the silence of Welsh’s scenes.

The scenes with Welsh are dark and ominous, as she wanders round the city in last night’s clothes, frantically checking her messages to see if she can piece together what went on the night before.

Welsh is impressive in conveying the anxiety that a young person inevitably feels after forgetting a boozy night out. Silent films rely a lot on the expressions of the actors, and she revels in this unique opportunity.

Co-writer’s Joshua Carver and Imogen Lea make the decision to have dialogue in Welsh’s scenes but with no audio. It is a unique experience, the impact of which must be experienced to fully appreciate. The cinematography also blends well into the quiet suburbs of the city. Filmed with a 4:3 aspect ratio, tension is added by the boxy, claustrophobic feelings of Welsh’s silent world. The silence becoming synonymous with confusion.

By the end of the film, Welsh’s narrative coalesces with the children’s, into a frantic but satisfying finale. Detachable is a short film which likely merits a longer and fleshed out story. It’d be particularly interesting to see how the editing choices work in this format. With impressive child performances from the Croston-Clegg siblings, a well-written script and fantastic editing, Detachable flies by and leaves an undeniable impression as the credits roll.

★★★★

4 / 5

Jacob Poole