Genre: Thriller Duration: 116mins Year of production: 2024
A compelling thriller based on the real character of the Director’s father
“In the heart of the English countryside, a Polish woman is rescued from a car crash by a reclusive RAF World War II veteran, who nurses her back to health. But her violent past returns to threaten both their lives.”
MAGDA lies alone in a crashed car, concussed, traumatised and can remember little of how she came to be there.
She’s rescued by GUY, a 90 year old ex World war II RAF bomber pilot who lives alone in his large farmhouse. She won’t accept an ambulance, so he reluctantly takes care of her.
As Guy cares for Magda in his home, we quickly learn that they are very different people. Magda’s brash, crude and tells him she’s a sex worker. He is a real English country gentleman – mannered, with irritating and obsessive routines. But through their shambolic multicultural, often hilarious interactions they learn to respect and befriend each other. He teaches her the ways of the countryside from gardening to using an axe to chop wood. She challenges his preconceptions.
But her past is already chasing her. JUSTIN, an ex-British army officer working in the underworld sex trade needs to find her ..urgently.
Guy tells her of his wartime flying and Polish friend, killed by the Nazis after bailing out and his long lasting respect for the Polish people. She begins to see him as the father figure she never had.
But Magda’s past will not let her go and as Justin gets ever closer to finding her, we begin to see things are not what they seem.
Maybe she is not the victim she professes to be; the old man not as innocent as we believe and through a series of twists and turns we learn more about antagonist Justin. He finally tracks her down and the truth becomes clear as Magda and Guy must fight for their lives.
GONE TO GROUND is a highly commercial movie comparable to DISAPPEARANCE OF ALICE CREED, LONDON TO BRIGHTON and BEAST. But as a thriller featuring a elderly wartime veteran, it fits well into the genre of “mature thrillers”, attracting a primary audience of 50+ male/female audience domestically and internationally.
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Shot over three years (not helped by Covid), the film stars Alan Breck as Guy. Sadly Alan didn’t live to see the completed film. He died early in 2022. But his indomitable spirit lives on in a marvelous final performance as the cantankerous, irritating but courageous and kindly old man.
He’s matched by Melissa de Mol as Magda, streetwise and crude, mistakenly called Suka (look it up) by Guy. They argue, disagree and misunderstand each other often hilariously.
The film was shot using Arri Alexas with anamorphic lenses on location in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, London and Southampton.
But her past life is catching up with her. Justin, tracking her down, tries to get information from her friend.
Magda tries out an old dress she’s discovered, but doesn’t realise that it’s very disturbing for Guy.
Produced by Phil Peel and Melissa De Mol