ACCUSED

UK, 2023, 88 minutes, Colour.

Chaneil Kular, Nitri Ginatra, Nila Aalia, Lauryn Ajufo, Frances Tomelty, Robbie O'Neill, Jay Johnson. Directed by Philip Barantini.

Here is a film well worth seeing in this complex social media age, with unlimited access to social media, open for anyone to express their opinions, favourable or, especially, hostile, and promote conspiracies and fake news.

This is a brief film that becomes ever more intense.

The central character is Harri (Chaneil Kular), a young man of British Pakistani background, seen in a relationship, travelling to the country to his family’s home to take care of it while they go on holiday. So far, so ordinary. A story that most audiences can identify with – and Harri is cheerful and friendly.

He is a young bearded man, dark, wearing a hoody at the Central London Station – and a similarly dressed man passes him on the escalator. Harri has his phone, relies on it for communication and news, during the train trip news of a terrorist bomb blast at the station. Remembering the man on the escalator, we can guess what is going to happen. And it does. And more.

Harri has a wonderful meal with his parents. Off they go on a holiday. He is in a nice house, watches TV (an old Frankenstein movie), gradually learning more about the bombing. But, the social media are buzzing, condemnations of the terrorist, racist outbursts, vindictive calls for vengeance, the photo of the man in the hoody, someone posting that the photo reminds her of Harri, bloggers and social media devotees investigating, finding his apartment, his girlfriend, his parents house…

While Harri rings the police to explain the situation, there is no action. But, in the early hours, home invasion, pursuit, the killing of his dog, threats, his escaping on to the roof, falling into the swimming pool, fleeing through the woods to a sympathetic neighbour, but her finding out about the situation and suspicious.

Harri is brutalised but uses his wits, injured but surviving…

We can say that this could happen to anyone given circumstances – but, in the Anglo world, young bearded men of some colour are automatic targets of suspicion.

1. The direct title? Harri, ordinary life, circumstantial evidence, named, persecuted, social media trolling, victimisation, violence?
2. The London setting, a universal story in an age of social media, Facebook and social media and instant access, information, misinformation?
3. The introduction to Harri, his Pakistani background, work in animation, his relationship with Chloe, the situation with his parents, their holiday, going to the railway station, noticing the man with the hoody, travelling and his father meeting him, the welcome, the meal with his parents, the good spirit in the family, their going on holidays, his relaxing?
4. The media, television, phones, information about the bombing?
5. The photo of the man with the hoody, similar to Harri, the variety of responses on social media, instant, the girl noting the photo reminded her of Harri, the responses, vengeance, vindictiveness, racism, bigotry, threats of violence? The gradual identification of Harri, information about his parents, his apartment, Chloe, his family home?
6. Harri, watching Frankenstein on television, gradually getting the news about the bombing and the accusations? His reaction? Phoning the police? Phoning Chloe? Her response?
7. Harri and the dog, bringing the dog in, noises in the house, his looking all the windows? Finding the dog dead?
8. The drama of home invasion, the two men, ordinary, masked, intruding, tracking Harri, inside the house, upstairs, his getting out the window, on the roof, falling into the pool, running through the woods?
9. His arrival and waving to the neighbour, running to her house, her letting him in, the towels, cup of tea, the news, her suspicions and fears, the knife? The police?
10. His escaping again, the woods, getting the keys of the car, the intruder at the car, the clash, the fight, Harri and the broken shard, the intruder’s death, the other man with the bat, Harri and the previous scene in his treehouse, escaping into the house, the intruder pursuing, treading on the floor, falling through the floor, impaled, pleading with Harri?
11. The audience identifying with Harri, the innocent, accused, fear, pressure, the police, violent and injury?
12. Th coming e aftermath, with his family, the interviewer wanting to get to the truth?
13. The credibility of the story, misinformation on social media, conspiracies, rash judging, violence and bigotry revealed? And the victims?