Just how far would a desperate person go to get a selfie with someone famous? Scottish filmmaker Ciaran Lyons explores this in his impressive feature debut Tummy Monster. Fusing psychological thriller elements with jet black comedy, the plot centres around tattoo artist Tales (Lorn Macdonald) who is living out of his studio following a run of misfortunes. When an American pop star (Orlando Norman) and his security guard (Michael Akinsilure) turn up at his shop in the dead of night, he thinks his luck might have changed. After giving him the ink that he desires, Tales asks for a quick snap as a memento because his ‘niece is a big fan’ but when the musician surprisingly declines, their spat starts to spiral out of control.
A compelling two-hander plays out between the two men, and what begins as a low-stakes exchange soon carries weight as their conversation peels back the layers of Tales’ troubled lifestyle. With shades of Stephen Knight’s concrete thriller Locke, the film is shot almost entirely in one location and phone calls are used to develop the story. Lyons crafts a neon sleaze aesthetic full of sinister gothic imagery and vape clouds and he makes terrific use of the tight space; an active camera, subtle shifts in tone, and an alarming score propel the intense unravelling of the protagonist. Touching upon themes of art, love, fatherhood, and the sense of entitlement we can feel towards celebrities, there’s a satirical streak that shoots through the character study narrative.
Actors Macdonald and Norman are credited with collaborating with Lyons on the script, both bringing depth and a relatability to their portrayals. This gives the dialogue a refreshing authenticity, with their cultural contrast in colloquialisms contributing to their clash. Macdonald delivers a terrific turn as Tales, the orchestrator of his own ruin as his bad decisions see him crumble against his adversary’s unshakeably cool façade. Norman brings an unnerving calm to the chaos, and the juxtaposition in their energy elevates both the humour and the drama.
Endlessly inventive and darkly funny, Tummy Monster is a little film with big ideas. You can imagine it working as a stripped back stage production, with performances from Lorn Macdonald and Orlando Norman more than capable of having audiences gripped for the duration. However, Lyons’ confident and creative direction heightens the piece, making for an intimate yet cinematic cautionary tale.
Cinema Perspective 
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