The mirror which Paul Laverty and Ken Loach hold up to “there’s no such thing as society” is as troubling as it is accurate.

Good and honest people like Ricky and Abby Turner (Kris Hitchen and Debbie Honeywood) struggle to make ends meet despite working all the hours under the sun – and a few more by the light of the silvery moon.

Their mental and physical health deteriorates. Their relationship with one another and their children is pushed to breaking point. And much to the annoyance of Ricky’s hard as flint boss Maloney (Ross Brewster), whose threat of “If you don’t like it you can fucking walk right now” epitomises all that is wrong with the so-called gig economy, the quality of service they provide to their “clients” is diminished.

“I hate that word,” says Abby. For it reduces human interaction to a time-limited tick-box transaction in which empathy is not part of the job description. For it is not a measurable outcome. And more to the point, doesn’t contribute to the bottom line.

So when a vulnerable lady needs additional home support, computer says no. As carers are allocated an ever-narrowing window of time. And when a family emergency necessitates a request for leave – unpaid leave – again, computer says no. As van drivers are fined and sanctioned for not hitting their increasingly demanding targets.

“I never thought it would be this difficult,” says an exhausted Ricky after a particularly bad day at the office. “Everything is out of whack.” The more they work, the faster and further they sink into the quicksand of debt and despair. “What are we doing to ourselves?” he asks. To which a drained Abby replies with a shrug, “I don’t know.”

What are we doing to ourselves? And by extension, what are we doing to the hard-working families and struggling communities who form the backbone of our increasingly unequal society?

Questions which lie at the heart of Paul Laverty’s fine script which like the flat cinematography of Robbie Ryan, understated score by George Fenton and honest performances from its cast of largely first-time actors (including Rhys Stone and Katie Proctor who shine as the bright but bruised children Seb and Lisa Jane) is disarmingly unvarnished.

Thus focusing attention on the plight of the protagonists as they struggle under the weight of zero hours contracts with zero job security and zero conditions of employment.

Marks out of ten are far from zero, however. As Ken Loach follows up the BAFTA-winning I, Daniel Blake with yet another blistering critique of Tory Britain. And though there are flashes of hope and humour – “Did you hear about the dyslexic insomniac?” asks a weak-bladdered gent. “He stayed awake all night wondering if there was a dog!” – the ending, which refuses to tie up the loose ends into a satisfying dramatic bow, lingers long and troublingly in the mind.

Director: Ken Loach
Writer: Paul Laverty
Stars: Kris Hitchen, Debbie Honeywood, Nikki Marshall
Peter Callaghan
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