Black Medicine – Tense Thriller
Director: Colum Eastwood
Writer: Colum Eastwood (Screenplay)
Starring: Amybeth McNulty, Orla Brady, Antonia Campbell-Hughes, Desmond Eastwood, Beccy Henderson, Lalor Roddy
Plot: Black Medicine follows a black-market medic who carries out illegal operations for the criminal underworld. When she gives refuge to a young girl, she must choose between breaking her medical oath or crossing her ruthless employers.
Runtime: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Black Medicine starts when black-market medic Jo (Campbell-Hughes) does job of the records for money after being struck off the medical side of things, she is hired for the latest job with her history being used to help persuade her to complete a procedure for Bernadette (Brady) to save her daughter.
When Jo learns the truth about what the plan is, she is forced to make an impossible decision to help Bernadette sacrifice a homeless teenager Aine (McNulty) or do the right thing, putting her in a position where she is put through the impossible decision.
Thoughts on Black Medicine
Characters & Performances – Jo is an off the grid nurse who uses her skills to help people for money without questions being asked. She is given a new job, which will see her needing to make an impossible decision after learning the truth about the job. Antonia Campbell-Hughes does a great job in her role, she will show us just how conflicted her character will be through the events of the film. Bernadette is the woman that looks to hire Jo, she offers big money, with the promise the procedure isn’t a complicated one, one that would help her daughter out. Orla Brady does show us just how far a mother would go to save their daughter from what could happen to them. Aine is the homeless teenager that has been tricked into being part of this decision, she is promised money, but is trying to escape, needing Jo to help her find safety. Amybeth McNulty does show us how someone can fall off the tracks and taken advantage of in this world. We do meet other people that have helped Jo in the past an d others that will be working for Bernadette to make things happen.
Story – The story here follows an underground nurse that is hired for a job she isn’t expecting, one that will see her needing to put her moral oath in question when she learns the truth about what the plan truly is about. This is an interesting thriller that will show us just how difficult one person’s life can become when it comes to dealing with the heartache of their personal life, when they are given a chance to save someone else’s life for a price. It does bring an edgy side to it, while having the message about how the rich will look to take advantage of the poor. We will be left guessing as to how everything will play out, because even the wrong decision at the wrong time could see a bigger tragedy.
Themes – Black Medicine is an Irish thriller that will use the background of the country to show how people will need to turn to a few off the grid jobs to try and make it through the day. We are left to see how the underworld of criminal activities operate when it comes to helping people survive different situations.
Signature Entertainment presents Black Medicine on Digital Platforms 12th July
Final Thoughts – Black Medicine is a tidy thriller leaving us with a massive moral oath dilemma throughout the film.
