Magpie
Written by Tom Bateman and story by Daisy Ridley
Directed by Sam Yates
Starring Daisy Ridley, Shazad Latif, Matilda Lutz, Pippa Bennett-Warner and Hiba Ahmed
Runtime 1 hour and 30 minutes
MPAA Rating R
Now playing in theaters

by Mo Moshaty, Staff Writer

In the psychological drama, Magpie, Ben (Shazad Latif) and Anette (Daisy Ridley) appear to have an idyllic life, complete with a beautiful yet isolated countryside home, two children, and Ben’s successful career. However, their marriage is unraveling beneath the surface. When their daughter Matilda (Hiba Ahmed) is cast in a film, Ben eagerly takes on the role of stage dad, leaving Anette isolated at home with their colicky infant son, Lucas.

Anette, lonely and overwhelmed by the relentless duties of motherhood, feels trapped and resentful after having sacrificed her thriving career in publishing for the 2.2 children and the quintessential house in the country, a personal request of Ben’s. In a meeting with an old colleague, it’s clear that everyone feels her life is somewhat less than satisfying – seeing her sequestered rather than fulfilled. In one instance where Ben has to stay alone with baby Lucas while Anette takes her daughter to the park, she returns smiling and asks, “What did you get done today?” to which Ben replies, “Well I had Lucas all day, so nothing.”, showcasing that he does understand the demands of motherhood but only he is allowed to complain about them. We feel for Anette immediately, as we can see her long for the past where she had an identity outside of house mom and master scheduler.

On set, Ben becomes drawn to his daughter’s co-star, Alicia (Matilda Lutz), a glamorous Italian actress recovering from a personal scandal. Ben tries everything to genuflect to Alicia, making his adoration thinly veiled and by exploiting his wife Anette's struggle with postpartum depression and overwhelming isolation. Simply put, Ben portrays himself as a victim of a failing marriage to gain Alicia’s sympathy. Feeling vulnerable, Alicia welcomes Ben’s advances, creating the possibility of an affair. As the fledgling friendship carries on via text message, each text getting deeper, more sensual and more boundary crossing, Ben’s infatuation with Alicia deepens. 

After catching Ben in a private moment of arousal while watching videos of Alicia and noticing Ben’s haste to get to set and his clear fawning, Anette’s checks his phone one night while he’s asleep and the barrage an anger, anxiety and fear race forward. Anette’s paranoia and emotional instability intensify, leading to blackouts and self-inflicted injuries. Desperate to have Ben come clean about his cold and callous behavior and his obsession with Alicia, Anette becomes determined to uncover the truth, by any means necessary and a glorious cat and mouse game begins, electrifying the last third of the film. With a twist ending that unravels back to the beginning pulled thread, Magpie easily lands this film in the “good for her" subgenre. 

Crafted from a story by Daisy Ridley, Magpie explores themes of obsession, betrayal, and the splintering cracks of an already unstable marriage with a modern noir twist which will be sure to satisfy mystery and mayhem lovers alike.