Running Time: 93 Minutes
Starring: Emma McDonald, Billy Postlethwaite, Amit Shah, Kaylen Luke
Making her feature debut, writer/director Joy Wilkinson crafts an enticing thriller with 7 Keys. As the opening shows differently coloured filters used across varying locations, narration plays over the scenes to recount a story about somebody secretly hiding within another person's house. It is a fascinating idea to pass through another person's life undetected, particularly as glimpsing them behind closed doors shows their true selves, for better or worse.
This is true of Lena (Emma McDonald), as viewers first meet her saddened to say goodbye to her son as he leaves with his father. Intent to temporarily escape this sadness, she puts on a happy guise and finds a date via an app, although she realizes at the restaurant that she has been stood up. A similar fate appears to have occurred to Daniel (Billy Postlethwaite), leaving the pair to bond over their circumstances and find the chemistry flowing as freely as their conversation.
As the night draws to a close, Daniel wishes to take things slowly while Lena is more eager to enjoy their present moments shared. There may be contrasting personalities between this cautious fellow and the wild spirit, yet something draws them together which leads to rising passions. The conversation soon shifts to Daniel's extensive set of keys, which contains the key to every place he has lived in. Intent on breaking the man out of his shell, Lena wishes to use them on a voyeuristic trip through his past, although the risky fantasy grows deadly as it goes on.
With each further key that is used, the story peels back layers for the characters which allows for a better understand to be shared between them. Each forcible entry leaves their masks to slip further, which emboldens Daniel to grow more dangerous as Poslethwaite compellingly captures the depths of his manipulations. This leaves Lena with the growing realization that she does not truly know him, having whisked herself away for a fantasy to take her mind off wishing that she could do right by her son. As she attempted to escape feeling trapped within a situation engineered by a domineering man, she has unfortunately fallen into a similar scenario.
As the revelations arise while the runtime moves on, what is revealed admittedly feels less captivating than the intrigue which was previously built up. It is also unfortunate that the story leads towards an endpoint which feels rushed, yet that does not take away from the captivating work beforehand. An erotic thriller driven by the sizzling chemistry shared between the leads, 7 Keys is a promising sign for the talented creatives assembled.
7 Keys made its UK Premiere at Frightfest 2024
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