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5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Squibs remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a soft spot for 1930s British talkies and don't mind a bit of a slow burn, Squibs is worth a look. It is not going to change your life, but it has that cozy, stage-bound energy that's hard to find these days.
If you get bored when people just stand around talking in rooms, you will probably hate this. It is definitely not an action movie.
Betty Balfour is the star here, and she carries the whole thing with a sort of frantic energy that feels very 'flower girl in a melodrama.' She is trying to marry this copper, but her dad is busy being a bit of a crook. It’s a classic setup.
The whole movie feels like it was filmed on a stage, which it probably was. There is a specific kind of crackle to the audio that makes it feel like you are listening to a ghost story from a London street corner.
The father character is a real piece of work. Watching him try to hide his money schemes while his daughter is just trying to live her life is... well, it’s frustrating, but it’s meant to be.
It’s not as intense as Safe in Hell, which had a much darker edge to it. This one is lighter, almost sweet, even when the dad is being a total jerk.
Honestly, the pacing is a bit all over the place. Sometimes it feels like it is rushing to get to the wedding bells, and other times it just hangs on a shot of a streetlamp for way too long. It’s not polished, but it feels human.
It definitely lacks the shine of Curly Top. But maybe that is the point? It’s grittier in a way that 1935 British cinema often was.
I left the movie feeling like I had just spent an hour in a very noisy, very crowded London neighborhood. It’s not great art, but it’s a decent way to spend a rainy afternoon if you just want to turn your brain off and watch some old-school acting. 🌸