Synopsis
Love... on one condition
A psychological romantic drama about teenage twins Owen and Kristen who fall under the sway of a charismatic young loan shark who offers love to one of them but on one condition.
Unconditional
2012 Directed by Bryn Higgins
Cast
Director
Writer
Editor
Cinematography
Stunts
Composer
Releases by Date
Theatrical
-
UK
28 Oct 2012
-
Netherlands12
Physical
30 Jul 2013
-
Germany16
Releases by Country
Germany
30 Jul 2013
- Physical16
Netherlands
28 Oct 2012
- Theatrical12
UK
25 Jun 2012
- Theatrical
Popular reviews
More-
It surprises me that there are people here calling this film "problematic." Just because it features an abusive relationship does not immediately mean that it is problematic, especially because this film frames the relationship exactly as what it is: abusive, toxic, untenable and something Owen needs to break out of so he can survive. Problematic would be if this were framed at any point as a true romance, something to coo over or excuse. There's an uneasy feeling about Liam from the beginning and it just continues to slide downwards as the film progresses. To me, that does not spell problematic. Intense? Yes. Hard to watch? Definitely. Potentially triggering? Very much. But problematic implies that the film did something wrong,…
-
-
Owen and Kristen (Harry McEntire and Madeline Clark) are sixteen year old Newcastle twins who possess a strong bond forged in the constant care they provide for their infirm mother (Melanie Hill). With the pressures of her invalidity taking a financial toll, the siblings reach out to a loan shark, Liam (Christian Cooke) for help. Struck by his charisma, Kristen finds herself romantically interested in Liam but developments take a surprising turn when it becomes clear that Liam only has eyes for Owen...providing he takes on the role of Kristen.
A twisted story of a toxic relationship between a deeply volatile and controlling older man and an enthralled and confused youth, Unconditional is a darkly obsessive tale whose peculiar premise…
-
Wow, just wow. It’s not that Unconditional is the best movie I’ve seen recently, or even the strangest (though it tries hard, my particular movie tastes usually see me watching more strange stuff than the average cinemagoer) but it’s certainly impressively different and may well be the most interesting, unpredictable and twisted love story that I’ve seen since Love Object. Having little idea (well, none at all, actually) of what the movie was about, I somehow expected some dark psychothriller akin to the incendiary Charlie Casanova but what I got was so unexpected that I’ll err on the side of caution here and reveal very little, in order for everyone else to experience the movie as I did. Every time…
-
-
Deeply unsettling, beyond problematic and at times, painful to watch yet impossibly gripping.
A truly frightening "love" story unlike anything I've seen before.
-
this movie is. devastatingly accurate in terms of the abuser's handbook - lovebombing, gaslighting, witholding necessities, issuing ultimatums, statements of devotion, sudden outbursts of anger and violence, etc
but if you want a point, or a message, there isn't one
it's just "wouldn't it be fucked up if--" the entire way through, and it does that very, very well
-
i probably wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone, ever- but it's going to stay with me for a while, i think.
-
Presumably the 3 other reviews, were by people without any experience ,of real life, or life experience of the Trans community, especially in the way this film was reviewed, its an everyday love story, believe me I have been there,
its your classic Tranny Chaser, deep in denial about his own sexuality, falling for your standard chicken and can think of a number of rent boys forced into an even deeper situation than just being forced to drag up, some have been forced to start taking female hormonesits sad, touching, and reasonably well acted ,although in real life belive me there is more violence
its not really intended to be viewed by mainstream heterosexual men, other than for titillation
it should be shown as a deterent only -
-
Brilliantly acted, cleverly written, and by turns moving, chilling and darkly funny. One of the best films at the 2012 Edinburgh Film Festival.
Also, Harry McEntire is a shoo-in for the MostlyFilm Jessica Brown Findlay Award For Best Newcomer.
-
Well, I wasn’t expecting this to turn out how it did.
Part heart warming, part traumatic, part absurd, this explores the notion of labelling and how that can get in the way of love.
Although love can sometimes get very confused and display itself as control-freak enforced transvestism. How many time have we seen that story?
Boy meets girl. Boy meets girl’s brother. Boy turns brother into girl. Girl gets understandably peeved. Boy goes mad with jealous confusion.