A directorial debut that focuses on life and the inevitability of death is a bold choice for a first feature. Still, The State of Us, directed by Ollie Gardner and Jake Harvey, embraces this ambition. It explores the friendship between two boys, Frankie (Samuel Bottomley) and Taylor (Callum Scott Howells), and while it’s slightly rough around the edges, it’s hard not to fall in love with the two leads. Its core message remains utterly heartfelt, filled with a harsh honesty that keeps the film grounded.
As mentioned before, the film focuses primarily on Frankie and Taylor. One day, Frankie breaks into the hospice where Taylor is staying while undergoing treatment for cancer, promising a fun night of drinking and other antics. As the night unfolds, the fun vibe gradually shifts, allowing us to explore Frankie and Taylor’s friendship and the inevitability of death.
The core of the film lives or dies with its leads. Every moment of drama, hilarity, or anger is experienced through them. Bottomley and Howells, as Frankie and Taylor respectively, are genuinely wonderful in their roles. From the opening moments, we immediately understand that these are friends with a deep, unbreakable bond. When the hijinks begin, you can’t help but be captivated by what unfolds. The same is true when the film shifts into more serious subject matter and explores what it means to live in the shadow of death. As an audience member, you can’t help but be swept up in their journey, hoping they find the peace they deserve.
For most of its runtime, the film is about two best friends enjoying a night out together. Involving the hilarious escape from the hospice, where they encounter Joan, the unintentional guilt‑tripping of their local store owner into handing over alcohol, and finally a house party that descends into chaos. From its opening moments, the film is genuinely funny, and as it progresses, it becomes even more of a good time. However, it’s these moments of levity that allow the reality to hit even harder, leading to a final third that is emotionally charged and beautiful to watch unfold. It speaks to the strength of Harvey’s writing and his direction, alongside Gardner, that everything comes together so effectively.
The film isn’t perfect; whether it’s my own struggle with the accents or an issue with the sound mix or speaker system, I did find it hard at times to understand some of the dialogue, especially during key moments. I also feel the score is a mixed bag, with select tracks being powerful anthems and others being kind of forgettable. However, when you see these friends overcome everything from highs and lows and remain willing to do anything for each other, those issues fade into the background.
The State of Us is a strong directorial debut from Gardner and Harvey, a film about friendship and facing inevitability in the way two best friends naturally would: by getting very drunk and having a good time. It’s funny, it’s sad; it’s simply a great film.
Premiered at the 2026 Edinburgh International Film Festival / Samuel Bottomley, Callum Scott Howells, Frances Barber, Safia Oakley-Green, Seamus O’Hara, Sunetra Sarker / Dir: Ollie Gardner, Jake Harvey / 15
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