The Lad: A dusty, frantic bit of British crime fluff

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for 1930s British crime flicks that move faster than they make sense, you will probably enjoy The Lad. If you need your plots to be watertight or your pacing to be deliberate, steer clear. It feels a bit like a stage play that decided to wander outside for a breath of fresh air but forgot where it put the map.

It’s not exactly high art, but it has a certain bouncy energy that keeps things moving. The whole premise hinges on people being incredibly paranoid. It reminded me a little of the confusion found in Burglar by Proxy, where everyone is just a bit too worried about what the other person knows.

Notes from the couch

• The dialogue is sharp, maybe a little too sharp. Everyone talks like they are trying to win a bet on who can use the most words to say nothing at all.
• There is a moment about midway through where a character turns a corner and the lighting just... disappears? It’s like the lamp went out and nobody bothered to relight it.
• The hat choices in this movie are truly spectacular. I’m not sure if it’s the era or just the costume department having a day, but the brim sizes are wild.

Gordon Harker does a lot of the heavy lifting here. He’s got that hangdog look that makes you want to believe him, even when he’s clearly up to no good. It’s a performance that doesn’t demand your attention but keeps you watching anyway.

There is a scene involving a desk and a very loud drawer that I’m pretty sure was an accident. The actor just slams it shut and looks at the camera for a split second like, "Did I break it?" It’s these tiny, messy details that make me like these older films more than the shiny stuff we get today.

It lacks the dark, brooding atmosphere of something like The Phantom of the Opera, but that’s fine. It’s not trying to be moody. It’s just trying to get the guy to the jewels before someone else catches on to the fact that he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing.

I’ll admit, the ending feels a bit rushed, like the studio ran out of film stock or the actors had a train to catch. It just stops. It doesn't really resolve so much as it just gives up on the tension. Honestly? I kind of respect that. 🎩