The Darkest Universe

The new film from the makers of Black Pond is a wonderfully strange comedy about missing people, narrowboats and astrophysics.

The second feature from Will Sharpe and Tom Kingsley (Black Pond) is an uncategorisably strange comedy about absence and astrophysics; where houseboats meet the Heisenberg principle. Zac (Sharpe) is a short-tempered city trader drawn into a family mystery when his sister Alice (Tiani Ghosh, who co-wrote with Sharpe) and her fey boyfriend Toby (Joe Thomas) disappear while narrowboating through London’s canals.

Confronted with the distinct disinterest of Toby’s family and the police, Zac mounts his own homespun search operation, an increasingly futile quest that eventually extends to an underpowered social media campaign, blogging and bespoke merchandising. With its themes around loss, existence and insignificance Sharpe and Kingsley have crafted a curious, cosmic comedy from the unlikeliest of elements. Combining perfectly formed pathos with a host of wonderfully wry performances from its performers (which include Chris Langham), The Darkest Universe is both a hilarious British comedy a thought-provoking, visually arresting indie feature