Laburnum Grove: Suburban quiet meets a very loud lie

Is this worth your time?

If you like movies that feel like a play filmed in someone's living room, absolutely. If you need explosions or even a single camera movement that isn't just sitting there watching people talk, you’ll probably find this boring as all get-out. It’s for the folks who like a good, dry British squabble.

Edmund Gwenn is doing some serious heavy lifting here. He’s got that way of looking at his relatives like they’re a stain on the carpet he can’t quite scrub out. He plays Radfern, a man who has clearly been holding his tongue for about twenty years too long.

The whole premise is basically a giant 'Get off my lawn' moment, but with more tea and polite insults. When he finally tells his mooching family that he’s a crook, the look on their faces is worth the price of admission alone. They go from entitled to terrified in about three seconds flat. It’s beautiful.

The dialogue is snappy, even if it feels a little stiff by modern standards. There’s a specific bit where a nephew keeps sniffing around for money, and you can just see Radfern’s soul leaving his body while he tries to stay civil. We’ve all been there, haven't we? That moment when you realize you’re surrounded by people who only like you for what’s in your wallet. 🙄

I found myself wondering if he actually was a criminal the whole time. The movie plays this game with you where you want him to be this cool, dangerous mastermind, but he might just be a boring guy who told a lie that spiraled out of control. It’s almost more fun if he’s just a regular bloke who’s really, really good at lying.

Some random notes:

• The house feels way too small for the amount of people living in it. It makes the tension feel real, like a pressure cooker.
• The way they hold their teacups while threatening each other is peak British passive-aggression.
• I kept thinking about The Price of Redemption, mostly because both movies have people trapped by their own bad choices.
• Katie Johnson is a standout. She plays the 'clueless' relative perfectly, which makes it even more annoying when she’s wrong.

It’s not a masterpiece. It doesn’t try to be. It’s just a tight, mean little story about a man who finally snaps. Honestly? I respect it. Sometimes you just need to tell everyone you’re a thief to get some peace and quiet. ☕️