With its UK premiere at FrightFest this year, 7 Keys is a London-centric thriller, that will make audiences think twice about using dating apps or trusting meet-cutes. When Lena (Emma McDonald) is stood up by her date, she strikes up a conversation with fellow loner Daniel (Billy Postlethwaite) who appears to be suffering the same fate. After Daniel seems uninterested in a hook-up that evening, Lena decides to follow him home and is reluctantly allowed in for a surprisingly passionate encounter. She then discovers that Daniel has kept the keys to every property he's lived in in London. Forever the rebel who loves an adventure, Lena proposes they visit each home to see if the keys still work, in an attempt to bring introvert Daniel out of his shell a little. After a whirlwind of breaking in, risky sex, and whispered confessions, things take a dark turn as the truth of the keys is uncovered, a stark reminder of why no one tells all on a first date.
A feature debut by writer and director Joy Wilkinson (Lockwood & Co., Doctor Who), 7 Keys has the potential ingredients for a twisty thrill ride that will leave audiences guessing who they can trust. While the film sometimes falls a little flat with predictable reveals, the talent of McDonald and Postlethwaite in the leading roles makes for an interesting dynamic, switching from lust and adoration to awkward first kiss-style mumblings from scene to scene as the couple try to navigate their feelings for each other. As the story picks up toward its climax and suspicions grow, each character's true colours start to shine through, making for an exciting if not slightly silly final act.
For anyone local to London, the geographical ambiguity of the key locations may antagonise audiences, however, the scenes succeed in capturing the peculiar beauty of the concrete jungle aesthetic which the city holds. In addition to this, the choice of coloured lighting to signify the mood of each location according to Daniel's descriptions of his life stages in each home keeps the expressions of tone on a stable path, even when the narrative goes slightly off the rails.
Overall, 7 Keys is a solid first attempt at a feature-length project for Wilkinson, showing her potential to expand into further larger-than-life narratives in the future. The messages behind the film are clear and concise, the acting is captivating even in the awkward interactions between the two leads, and the concept behind the narrative will leave viewers shuddering at the thought of this situation, which in the dangerous world of dating could happen to many of us.
7 Keys had its world premiere as part of the First Blood strain of FrightFest 2024 on Saturday, August 24.
