For much of 500 Miles, director Morgan Matthews leans heavily on nostalgia and sentiment, though the film takes its time to justify either. Frequent flashbacks to happier times in Dingle, Ireland, where Finn (Roman Griffin Davis), Charlie (Dexter Sol Ansell), and their family once seemed complete, create a wistful atmosphere, but the film spends so long dwelling on the past that the first two acts feel sluggish. It’s only in the final stretch that everything clicks into place and the emotional weight of the story lands devastatingly.
Based on the children’s book Charlie and Me by Mark Lowery, the story follows Finn and his younger brother Charlie as they embark on an impromptu journey from Sheffield to Ireland, hoping to reunite with their estranged grandfather, John (Bill Nighy). Their parents, meanwhile, struggle through a separation, with Finn overhearing plans that suggest each parent will take one child. Terrified of being separated from his brother, Finn decides that his grandad will know how to keep the family together.
Finn proves himself an immensely likeable protagonist. Loyal to his sibling and mature beyond his years, he shoulders responsibilities no child should have to bear. Charlie, born prematurely but full of personality, provides much of the film’s life – an ironic choice given where the film ultimately heads. His endless chatter and constant questions feel particularly realistic if you have ever spent more than five minutes in the company of a young child, and the chemistry between the brothers gives the film its heart. Davis, best known for playing Jojo in Jojo Rabbit, carries an enormous emotional burden and never once falters. His performance anchors 500 Miles and elevates material that occasionally threatens to become overly sentimental.
Their journey encounters obstacle after obstacle. Lacking money, Finn struggles to pay for transport, while Charlie steals a drink and later hides in a luggage compartment because they cannot afford two coach tickets. Along the way, they encounter Kait (Maisie Williams), a ukulele-playing busker who becomes an unlikely – if somewhat predictable – ally. Her willingness to pose as Finn’s chaperone and later help him raise money to continue his journey provides some welcome warmth, even if the singing sequence feels rough around the edges.
The third act features a plot twist that cynics will likely see coming. The unexplained estrangement between John and his daughter (Clare Dunne), the parents’ separation, and Finn’s habit of buying only one ticket all point towards something tragic. Foreknowledge, however, does little to soften the blow. When the truth finally emerges, it lands as a devastating gut punch that reframes everything that came before. Moments that once seemed overly sentimental reveal themselves as expressions of unresolved guilt and grief.
500 Miles struggles through its first two acts and occasionally indulges too heavily in nostalgia, but the third act earns every tear. Once the pieces fall into place, the sentimentality no longer feels tiring and instead reads as deeply human as a broken family comes together in grief. The road there may be uneven, but the emotional payoff proves worth the journey.
★★★
In UK cinemas on June 26th / Bill Nighy, Roman Griffin Davis, Dexter Sol Ansell, Maisie Williams, Clare Dunne, Michael Socha / Dir: Morgan Matthews / True Brit Entertainment / 12A
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