The Show, Mitch’s first full-length feature, follows Tom Burke as Fletcher Dennis who goes to Northampton looking for a man called Mitchum. Even the names “Mitch”/”Mitchum” quickly shows how reality and fiction blur which becomes a huge recurring theme later. And our lead has been tasked with finding a golden heirloom Mitchum is supposed to own.

Booking himself into a recently available flat, his (vague) goal sees him cross paths with a bunch of mysterious characters including a superhero-masked librarian (hello Watchmen) – and after finding Mitchum dead at a hospital, he quizzes a patient called Faith (Siobhan Hewlett) who appears to know information pertaining to the enigma.

For Midlands film-fans, familiar town sites including the public library appear regularly and his new “land-lady” Becky (Ellie Bamber) regales tid-bits and facts about Northampton at various points in the story.

Moore’s writing sees the film mixing dreams and illusions as well as many allusions to his previous work. “Comedians” and a sad circular face echo Watchmen, whilst info about the Gunpowder plot’s connections to Northampton nod to V for Vendetta. More strangely, Moore, whose disdain for the Hollywood versions of his graphic novels, does deliver a host of broader film genre pastiches too.

When Fletcher goes to a detective agency there’s a 1940s gumshoe tone with words like “dollface” and “broad” being spoken by a red-lipped secretary. It’s then hit home by literally turning black and white as he questions some Bugsy Malone-looking children who run the business. WTF?

There’s a fair bit of exposition to the tale, which takes away from the vibrant surreal fantasy moments but then again, nothing is really explained particularly either. This will lead to either audience intrigue or confusion. I’m still not sure which for me.

Tone wise it’s akin to Season 3 of TV’s The League of Gentlemen – extraordinary - where a host of bizarre characters inhabit a small Midlands town with a huge dose of dark intrigue and a smidgen of comedic moments in British-infused skits. 

The pastiches mostly hit their target but it all feels a bit spot-the-reference than it does provide any meaningful link to the story, and certainly not the mystery itself.

From Northampton’s normal front, it’s great to see a whole host of creative ideas pour out of the overlooked Midlands town demonstrating there’s a huge dollop of creativity stemming from this seemingly-ordinary area.

As Fletcher tries to put the puzzle pieces together (good luck with doing it yourself) the clues lead to a pair of old-style comedians who died in a nightclub. And Moore cameos himself as a moon-coiffed entity playing circus-y music and later delivering Gandalf-y personal advice.

Moore’s wordy writing and finer details echo his iconic comic masterpieces but the film is both on-the-nose (in its themes) but also often befuddling and unclear. If you’re a fan of Moore’s work, a fan of detective noir or a fan of Midlands film (who isn’t eh?) then The Show doesn’t skimp on a smorgasbord of wacky ideas and stories though.

“God made the country, but he didn’t make the town”, says a taxi driver at the start of the movie and together Mitch and Moore are a great combination to make THIS town a character in itself.

Despite a low budget, its enjoyment will definitely depend on whether you go along with the movie’s peculiar idiosyncrasies but those who do will find a wild film from the Midlands that Moore is finally happy to put his name to.

★★★½

The Show is available on digital platforms from 18 October.