After a personal tragedy, a young woman tries to take her future into her own hands through an arms deal gone wrong in Lancashire-based filmmaker Ryan J. Smith’s second feature Talking to Ghosts.
Talking to Ghosts is a dark and gripping suspense tale full of heart. Setting the tone immediately, the film opens by introducing us to Ciara, played by Nina Holland-Smith and her partner played by Harry McLafferty are left stricken with grief after a stillbirth.
Seeking to break free from her bleak and impoverished existence as she’s living with Jessica and her boyfriend Peter, Ciara accepts an unusual job offer working in the black market arms deal industry.
The job (purchasing a gun from a famous crime author) turns out to be more complex and dangerous than she anticipated, unravelling a suspenseful story filled with secrets.
The film, which originally began as two separate scripts Smith had written a few years before ‘Frankenstein-ing’ them together”, was filmed across St Anne’s, Blackpool, and Thornton Cleveleys, creating a unique Northern atmosphere you don’t tend to see on screen.
Smith allows the tension to build gradually in this thriller. It’s an intriguing story, exploring the psychological aspects of the characters' motivations, which is achieved through impressive performances from the whole cast - Grahame Edwards, Jake Waring, Neizan Fernandez, Hannah Miller, Danielle Speed, Matt Andrews.
The films sets the stage for Ryan J. Smith’s promising filmmaking future and serves as a testament to the quality and talent of Northern cinema.
Talking to Ghosts is out now on Amazon Prime Video and coming to more global streaming platforms soon.
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