True Things Review

Based on the novel True Things About Me by Deborah Kay Davies, Ruth Wilson shines as Kate, a young woman living a quiet life that is starting to feel more like a prison each day. Her job at the local benefits office provides as much fulfilment as her array of failed relationships. Kate’s world is changed when Blond (Tom Burke) rocks up at her desk, all charm and smiles; Kate is instantly taken with him. So much so that she sleeps with him mere moments after meeting for the first time.

At first, their relationship is everything Kate has been looking for; exciting, thrilling, almost intoxicating, but it soon becomes clear that her infatuation with him isn’t as strongly returned. Blond is fresh out of prison and, by all accounts, a deeply troubled person who seems to relish how much Kate likes him. While he uses words like “soulmates” and is quick with a smile, the escape he offers Kate begins to take its toll on her life and mental health. Kate wants a better life so severely that she mistakenly puts those hopes and dreams in the hands of Blond, a man incapable of living up to that expectation.Films of a similar subject matter can swing from tense psychological thrillers, erotic thrillers to hard-hitting drama; True Things dances through all these categories to forge a complex character study. Even when it becomes a little lost with where the melody is taking us, this isn’t a film that neatly wraps everything up. Life, love, and the choices we make in real life are far from neat and tidy.

Harry Wootliff’s second feature might not leave as much of an emotional impact as her utterly beautiful debut (Only You), True Things is an elegantly shot powered by another richly layered performance from Ruth Wilson, who continues to add more challenging yet relatable characters to an already impressive CV.

True Things is out now on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital.