Nothing Goes

Directed by Jordan-Kane Lewis

2024

There’s a breathless energy to Jordan-Kane Lewis’ Nothing Goes, suggesting a rather substantial influence from the Safdie Brothers, as well as Aneil Karia’s 2020 film Surge. In a similar style to those influences, Nothing Goes starts with a single decision that the protagonist hopes will improve their situation, but one that is abundantly clear to the audience will only make matters worse.

Aiden James plays Alex, a university student living with his aunt and struggling for money. His girlfriend Lexy (Katie Walker) is also finding it hard to make ends meet, so when Peach (Steven Wardle) suggests a robbery with no supposed victims, it seems like the ideal solution. Alex is reluctant at first but eventually agrees.

The problem is that the people they are robbing are retired gangsters, who meet up at an isolated pub to gamble their ill-gotten gains in a few rounds of cards, and when Steven resorts to violence during the theft, the trio find themselves having to lay low for a few weeks.

All three leads put in excellent performances, especially James who layers his performance with a real vulnerability. Alex isn’t a tough kid; he’s a young creative looking for any way out of the cost-of-living crisis. He dabbles in bad behaviour like any student, but his main goal is to build a life for him and Lexi. As the inter-personal relationships become more complex, Alex finds himself abandoned in Scotland (cleverly shot in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, but convincing enough).

Lewis shows himself to be a real talent here, keeping the script tight and runtime short to maximise the tension. The editing style harks back to 90s indie scene, chopping back and forth to keep that momentum going. There’s only the briefest moment of respite as the trio enjoy their time in Scotland before the house of cards starts to wobble once again.

It all builds to an incredibly bleak ending, with James’ performance as Alex reaching new heights. The vulnerability on show here would have traditionally been put at the feet of a female character. In an interview at Paracinema after a screening of the film, Lewis noted that the film was about naivety but there are also clear themes about the lengths that people are forced to go to when under financial pressure.

I found it interesting that these young characters choose to rob a bunch of retired gangsters. As a culture we simultaneously revile and idolise organised crime. Filmmakers seem to have an awe for the culture of respect that is used a visage for these violent criminals, and at the same time we liken politicians (those who have placed the financial restraints on us) to criminals and gangsters. In some ways, there could be no clearer example of trying to breakout of our circumstances than attacking those who used to have influence.

In this way, Nothing Goes felt quite political, adding another layer of bleakness to its ending. Lewis is reportedly working on a vampiric horror film next, adding in his interview that genre cinema, rather than hybrid films, sell better to distributors and producers. I only hope that he is able to layer a genre film in the same way, because with Nothing Goes he has created an interesting, exciting thriller.

★★★★

4/5

Matthew Tilt

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