Film Review – Rose of Nevada (2025)

      Rose of Nevada, 2025.

      Written and Directed by Mark Jenkin.

      Featuring George MacKay, Callum Turner, Francis Magee, Edward Rowe, Rosalind Eleazar, Mary Woodvine, Adrian Rawlins, Yana Penrose, Mae Voogd, and Emily Daglish-Laine.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A boat mysteriously reappears in a village 30 years after it disappeared. Two men join its crew in hopes of a better life. After one journey, they find themselves sent back in time, mistaken for the original crew members.

      Appropriately, the narrative that ultimately delves into time travel is centered around complete immersion in different eras and locations. The entrancing, analog, and dreamlike soundscapes, once again employed here, have become a distinctive hallmark of Mark Jenkin, who serves not only as the writer and director of Rose of Nevada but also as its editor, cinematographer, composer, sound designer, and more. The filmmaker's focus on images shot in the Academy ratio and permeated with grain is complemented by his attention to extreme close-ups of characters alongside lingering views of rusted debris, spray-painted structures, and other elements that highlight the decline of what was once a flourishing seaside fishing community.

      The primary cause of this economic downturn is the vanishing of the fishing trawler, the Nevada, which also mysteriously lost one of its important crew members. Thirty years later, the boat inexplicably returns, shocking a local resident and spreading the news with a mix of excitement and fear. Among those facing financial struggle due to the town’s decline is George MacKay’s character, Nick, a married father who seems to worsen the roof's issues every time he tries to address them, leading to comical scenes of him falling through the roof. With his family's living situation at risk, it is only natural for him to pursue a spot on the revived Nevada’s crew for fishing trips.

      Nick is joined by a wandering drifter, Liam (Callum Turner), under the command of a seasoned captain with a bushy beard (portrayed by Francis Magee, who delivers gruff yet wise guidance, such as his insistence to “cut the fish from head-to-asshole”). Before setting out, Nick also grapples with the responsibility of caring for an elderly couple next door, which includes a wife suffering from dementia, while Liam flirts with the daughter of the man who disappeared at sea three decades ago.

      Those familiar with Mark Jenkin's work (most recently the visually captivating but narratively perplexing Enys Men) will recognize his keen attention to detail, especially regarding the fishing scenes, which encompass everything from casting nets to close-ups of machinery and fish being gutted. This meticulousness suggests either deep immersion in the profession or extensive research on his part (this isn’t his first fishermen story, having previously made Bait with some of the same actors and crew). It’s crucial to highlight this aspect because, even as the film morphs into a complex time travel narrative that contemplates themes of past and present, occasionally resembling a puzzle that can be both intriguing and slow-paced, Rose of Nevada stands out as a remarkable visual work unlike its peers.

      Transported 30 years back in time (notably before Nick's birth), the town appears vibrant and thriving, largely maintaining its original ambiance but without the grime. This creates a sense of unease about the reflections on time and progress that Mark Jenkin conveys, coupled with an emotional resonance evident through George MacKay’s performance, even in a film that is sparse with dialogue and traditional storytelling. Understandably disoriented and alarmed, Nick realizes that their return from the voyage has not only taken them into the past but also into a version of the town that recognizes him and Liam as the fishermen who vanished during that expedition three decades ago.

      Equally troubling for both Nick and the audience is Liam's rapid acceptance of their circumstances; adrift in the present, he is now mistakenly seen as the father of the daughter, acting as if he never went missing, even flirting with the mother, and seemingly finding new purpose in the gifted family that isn’t his. As Nick reflects, this surely must be against the law. Perhaps he should have paid attention to the warning on the boat advising immediate disembarkation. However, if everyone followed such warnings, we wouldn't experience this psychological upheaval that shifts the characters' dynamics between the present and the past. Much like the haunted ship itself, Mark Jenkin’s Rose of Nevada invites viewers to lose themselves in its depths.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder