I often find it difficult to find anything good on Netflix. This is the exception. This film was surprisingly good. It had a good story, and was well acted. It also had enough plot twists to keep it interesting throughout. Initially, I thought I had a pretty good idea as to how the story would unfold. However,things go a bit different than expected, and the ending was quite unexpected. All in all, a very entertaining movie that I think most will enjoy.
33 Reviews
A look at loneliness from an unusual angle
MattyGibbs14 November 2016
A Patch of Fog is a small Irish film about a security guard who blackmails a celebrity he finds shoplifting into being his friend.
This is a small film that probably would have worked better if it was cut down in length and used as a one hour TV drama. Saying that it still manages to be reasonably entertaining.
The two leads do a good job especially Stephen Graham who shows his versatility here as the lonely man just looking for friendship but going about it the wrong way. Although both actors are great the one slight downfall was that neither character manages to garner much sympathy from the audience which left me a little detached from the events that followed.
Overall I thought this was a decent small film and it did have a very good ending which makes it worth sitting through.
This is a small film that probably would have worked better if it was cut down in length and used as a one hour TV drama. Saying that it still manages to be reasonably entertaining.
The two leads do a good job especially Stephen Graham who shows his versatility here as the lonely man just looking for friendship but going about it the wrong way. Although both actors are great the one slight downfall was that neither character manages to garner much sympathy from the audience which left me a little detached from the events that followed.
Overall I thought this was a decent small film and it did have a very good ending which makes it worth sitting through.
Some nice twists
keyope21 June 2017
I just caught this film on Sky Movies. Most of the films that premier on Sky without having had a cinema release tend to be pretty bad. 90% of the time I switch them off after 20 minutes. But I stuck with this one even though it was a little slow starting. It's a fairly low budget Brit flick and at times it looks and feels like a daytime soap, but the quality of the story makes it rise above the usual low budget affairs. I could even see this film being remade by Hollywood with some big A-list names in the two main roles. Stephen Graham is great as the lonely store detective, while Lord Varys from Game of Thrones is decent in the lead role, although with hair he looks and sounds like Eamon Holmes. This would have worked well as an episode of Tales of the Unexpected because for a feature length film it is drawn out in places. But recognising that the filmmakers have kept it to just over 80 minutes. What keeps the viewer watching (apart from the solid acting) are the regular twists and turns in the script. After the first 20 minutes there's a twist every 10 minutes or so and some of them are quite excellent. One in particular around the 45 minute mark was a real beauty. This film is definitely worth a look. Much better than your usual low budget Brit flicks.
Nice first project from an up and coming young director
michaeljtrubic12 September 2015
A nice little story taking place in urban northern Ireland using some of the seasoned cast of game of thrones and perhaps some of the crew involved too.
Nice to see the group staying together and completing other projects in between game of thrones. Something similar happened last year at tiff with the Fargo TV crew and "Cut Bank" (Fargo 2.0) starring John Malkovich as the rural sheriff
High production values. Clever,well spoken dialogue in a first full length feature from a young director who previous did some short film submissions at tiff.
Well worth seeing. Cleverly done and enjoyable to all. Interesting Q&A afterwards. Thanks to all that attended.
Mike
Nice to see the group staying together and completing other projects in between game of thrones. Something similar happened last year at tiff with the Fargo TV crew and "Cut Bank" (Fargo 2.0) starring John Malkovich as the rural sheriff
High production values. Clever,well spoken dialogue in a first full length feature from a young director who previous did some short film submissions at tiff.
Well worth seeing. Cleverly done and enjoyable to all. Interesting Q&A afterwards. Thanks to all that attended.
Mike
An interesting dance of two extreme characters
charliewdugas14 September 2018
This movie is a beautiful story about two characters. The dynamic is so great with it's cat and mouse storyline. The actors shine bright, delivering powerful performances that are convincing to say the least! The cinematography is so well done and is almost half the movie!
Great Netflix hidden gem
Draysan-Jennings8 December 2019
I couldn't find anything to watch so I decided to check out movie trailers from films featured on Netflix. Came across this hidden gem. Solid story. The two main actors were great. Wasn't the greatest film but was definitely a sweet surprise. Give it a watch
Depressing Above Average Character Study
dansview18 March 2020
I don't really enjoy watching films about sick, twisted people. But they are sometimes interesting. This one was small, and based on writing and tension. Both of which elements were above average.
The Belfast setting was refreshing for me, since I haven't seen many films based in Northern Ireland, and the cinematography did it justice.
Both leads seemed perfectly cast. That is so important.
I don't recall any music or sex, and the violence was minimal.
The ending included some memorable imagery that I would not have predicted.
But I still wish I hadn't watched this film. Because it will just add to the endless gallery of disturbing images in my mind from past viewings of countless films. So many of which these days are about murder, infidelity, crime, or depression.
Brilliant, just Brilliant
tdowney-3120725 January 2017
Do not expect special effects to try to thrill you, do not expect stunning landscapes to enchant you, but do expect one hell of a ride.
This is possibly the most intense and clever thriller I have seen. An array of characters but after the film you cannot remember any of them apart from 2 people. Thats what this film is about, 2 people and one incident. The blurb does not sell this film, I mean, it tells you what happens and there is nothing exciting about a famous shoplifter getting blackmailed. Get ready to be awe struck. This is clever, sad, witty and real. twists and turns galore. Go and watch it and get ready for 90 minutes of pure film
This is possibly the most intense and clever thriller I have seen. An array of characters but after the film you cannot remember any of them apart from 2 people. Thats what this film is about, 2 people and one incident. The blurb does not sell this film, I mean, it tells you what happens and there is nothing exciting about a famous shoplifter getting blackmailed. Get ready to be awe struck. This is clever, sad, witty and real. twists and turns galore. Go and watch it and get ready for 90 minutes of pure film
You never know who's watching!!
Sleepin_Dragon24 September 2020
It shouldn't come as a surprise that a film featuring Stephen Graham is very good. I couldn't get into the first ten minutes, however there is a turning point, and this film really does take off.
The story is unique, I have never seen a film where a character has such a strange motivation, that motivation seemingly being loneliness. Plenty of twists and turns, expect the unexpected, this film doesn't follow any rules.
The acting is terrific, Hill and Graham truly manage to bring their characters to life.
I loved the ending, I really wasn't expecting that to happen.
The moral of the story, don't go pinching from shops, because you never know who's watching you!
This was very good, 7/10.
The story is unique, I have never seen a film where a character has such a strange motivation, that motivation seemingly being loneliness. Plenty of twists and turns, expect the unexpected, this film doesn't follow any rules.
The acting is terrific, Hill and Graham truly manage to bring their characters to life.
I loved the ending, I really wasn't expecting that to happen.
The moral of the story, don't go pinching from shops, because you never know who's watching you!
This was very good, 7/10.
Patch Of Fog: Not the easiest of viewing
Platypuschow17 July 2017
Patch Of Fog stars Stephen Graham in an immensely creepy role and Game Of Thrones own Conleth Hill. The general theme, stalker which let's be honest has been done to death but there is always more to add and Patch Of Fog proves that.
With an interesting twist to the concept both leads bring fantastic performances to the plate and really knock it out of the park but somehow someway I was left feeling very uncomfortable by the whole thing.
Arguably this is what the creators were going for but for me it was a bit much. Wildly unpredictable, mostly well written and with a couple of neat ideas I would have enjoyed Patch Of Fog a bit more if Grahams character had been dialed down a little.
I've actually had not one, not two but three stalkers myself (Not even joking) An older gay gentleman, a much older lady who thought I was her late husband and a deeply psychotic girl at college who used to beat the doors of the classrooms I was in until the police pulled her away. One time she even told a lecturer to back off, she knew kungfu. For this reason I understood the leads plight but maybe I didn't like it as it caused Vietnam like flashbacks for me. Yeeeek!
With an interesting twist to the concept both leads bring fantastic performances to the plate and really knock it out of the park but somehow someway I was left feeling very uncomfortable by the whole thing.
Arguably this is what the creators were going for but for me it was a bit much. Wildly unpredictable, mostly well written and with a couple of neat ideas I would have enjoyed Patch Of Fog a bit more if Grahams character had been dialed down a little.
I've actually had not one, not two but three stalkers myself (Not even joking) An older gay gentleman, a much older lady who thought I was her late husband and a deeply psychotic girl at college who used to beat the doors of the classrooms I was in until the police pulled her away. One time she even told a lecturer to back off, she knew kungfu. For this reason I understood the leads plight but maybe I didn't like it as it caused Vietnam like flashbacks for me. Yeeeek!
Oh, the twists!
tcripp29 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
As with some other reviews, I will agree that it was stretched in length and could have been shortened. There were some lulls where I found myself wandering off and then, wham!. Good thing it was on Netflix so I could rewind and catch up. We took turns guessing the ending only to find out we were both wrong. I did not see the resolution coming on this one which is rare but very welcomed.
Hard to write a review and not give any spoilers, so I will leave it at this. It's one worth watching and the actors were well chosen.
Hard to write a review and not give any spoilers, so I will leave it at this. It's one worth watching and the actors were well chosen.
Decemt twisty thriller
nigelmacdonald-971739 September 2020
Could have been much better
george-84127 May 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Conleth Hill does a lot better job at being nefarious and stealthy in Game of Thrones!
The basic premise is interesting, especially how his addiction to the adrenaline-fueled buzz of shoplifting is somehow connected to the childhood experiences which are foundational for the book he writes (in theory) and brings him success as a writer, instructor and TV personality. I actually wish they had explored the roots of his shoplifting obsession more.
But the plot is undermined by the basic fact that blackmailers using audio or video tapes can---and probably almost assuredly do, if they have any brains---make extra copies of the goods so the victim can't just break into their apartment and steal the evidence. Beyond that it's incredible beyond belief that the victim will play burglar, dress all in black and break into the blackmailer's pad to steal the evidence and then forget entirely that it might be wise to wear a mask since the blackmailer is a SECURITY GUARD whose already demonstrated his skills with video surveillance!
Killing the blackmailer and dumping the corpse into a body of water, now that's a smarter move, especially when it's made clear the blackmailer has no friends and has most conveniently written a note which would presumably satisfy his employer as to the reason for his sudden disappearance. However a deus ex machina kicks in and the victim-now-murdered finds the cord wrapped around the corpse to be also wrapped around his own foot and gets dragged down into the water depths... poetic justice indeed for a writer with very bad writing habits!
The actor doing the blackmailing does a very good job. He's not over the top and he conveys well the sense that he doesn't really understand why he is not establishing a legitimate friendship with his victim.
The basic premise is interesting, especially how his addiction to the adrenaline-fueled buzz of shoplifting is somehow connected to the childhood experiences which are foundational for the book he writes (in theory) and brings him success as a writer, instructor and TV personality. I actually wish they had explored the roots of his shoplifting obsession more.
But the plot is undermined by the basic fact that blackmailers using audio or video tapes can---and probably almost assuredly do, if they have any brains---make extra copies of the goods so the victim can't just break into their apartment and steal the evidence. Beyond that it's incredible beyond belief that the victim will play burglar, dress all in black and break into the blackmailer's pad to steal the evidence and then forget entirely that it might be wise to wear a mask since the blackmailer is a SECURITY GUARD whose already demonstrated his skills with video surveillance!
Killing the blackmailer and dumping the corpse into a body of water, now that's a smarter move, especially when it's made clear the blackmailer has no friends and has most conveniently written a note which would presumably satisfy his employer as to the reason for his sudden disappearance. However a deus ex machina kicks in and the victim-now-murdered finds the cord wrapped around the corpse to be also wrapped around his own foot and gets dragged down into the water depths... poetic justice indeed for a writer with very bad writing habits!
The actor doing the blackmailing does a very good job. He's not over the top and he conveys well the sense that he doesn't really understand why he is not establishing a legitimate friendship with his victim.
Not a good'un
r96sk2 August 2022
Not a good'un.
'A Patch of Fog' isn't bad per se, I just can't really tell you anything that I particularly enjoyed about it. Sure I like Stephen Graham and Conleth Hill, though I've seen better from both. The plot does have a few moments of goodness with solid twists and a neat end, though those are few and far between as they are surrounded by much mediocre-ness.
Graham and Hill do make sure it remains mildly watchable, though everything else kinda hinders more than it helps the film. Despite a 90 minute run time, it makes for a slow watch - not helped by the fact that the filmmakers let the cat out the bag, so to speak, very early on, a bit more suspense/subtlety would've went a long way.
'A Patch of Fog' isn't bad per se, I just can't really tell you anything that I particularly enjoyed about it. Sure I like Stephen Graham and Conleth Hill, though I've seen better from both. The plot does have a few moments of goodness with solid twists and a neat end, though those are few and far between as they are surrounded by much mediocre-ness.
Graham and Hill do make sure it remains mildly watchable, though everything else kinda hinders more than it helps the film. Despite a 90 minute run time, it makes for a slow watch - not helped by the fact that the filmmakers let the cat out the bag, so to speak, very early on, a bit more suspense/subtlety would've went a long way.
Brilliant
carollaw51-41-5625628 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
I watched this on Netflix last night and it was a case of what shall i watch ? i couldn't be bothered to go through all the thriller list so i just chose the first one that was there,and this was it. I wasn't expecting much from this film as i could tell straight away that it was made on a low budget.But i was so wrong this film is brilliant ,its tense,gripping and keeps you wondering all the time what is going to happen next.It is full of twists and you cant help watching and wondering how it is all going to end.The two main actors play their parts really well,their two characters are very different people and would never be friends normally,but Tony the security guard is such a lonely person that he is willing to trap ,stalk and blackmail someone into being his friend.His a very sad character but also very creepy.Sandy the other man is a well off TV celebrity who has a habit of kleptomania ,Tony catches him in his shop and ends up blackmailing him into being his friend. This is basically the plot of the film but what follows you don't see coming.Its a very unpredictable film which is what i like most about it and i never guessed the ending either.
Just ok.
dollytastic27 July 2018
A sneaky little thriller
patbradley43524 January 2017
Forget all the fake hype surrounding La La Land, Manchester by the Sea and Moonlight. These films are all pretentious garbage when compared to this little hidden jewel that will never see mainstream cinema, and that is a mystery to me, because it tells me that hidden forces are at work and suppressing masterful little trinkets like this and forcing us to watch drivel like the aforementioned duffers that make mainstream cinema every week. This movie is clever, gripping, idiosyncratic, suspenseful and what makes movies enjoyable. I am almost at the end of my tether about all the glowing reviews attributed to dire movies. I can only think it is a cabal of people associated with the productions that put out rave reviews. I have a brain and can think for myself and ascertain that La La Land, Manchester by the Sea & Moonlight are not great movies, but will probably do well at the pretentious Oscars. This little Irish movie kicks dirt in the face of Hollywood, showing them how to make gripping movies.
Okay but not too special
gallmann-388278 June 2021
Well done, enough to keep you engaged. Still the twist at the end was not out of the ordinary and at least in my case, was within the range of what could be expected. While watching, my imagination of how the story could've evolved is more than it turned out to be. Unfortunately. It's a pity, since the actors did a good job and this movie was executed professionaly. In my imagination, there's way more potential and thus many more options of unexpected twists, that could've made a movie/story like this really great and stand out. So ya, worth watching for the acting, but nothing more beside it.
283. A Patch of Fog.
tfminfl28 October 2018
I pick awesome movies totally at random sometimes and this is one. I'd call it an uncomfortable thriller. We meet Sandy Duffy, an author, that 25 years ago published a book, about life with agoraphobic father, and himself being lost in a fog one night for hours, and his dear ol' da never even attempted to go look for him, it won him a bunch of awards, fame, money, however... Adult Sandy has secrets, and one of those is he loves the thrill of shoplifting, until he gets caught by a security guard, Robert. Instead of handing him over to the police, Robert blackmails Sandy into becoming his friend. Robert is a very lonely, very creepy dude, and he latches on and won't let go. Definitely worth a watch! Sandy may have a few other dark secrets... Equipped with a highly satisfying ending!! Filmbufftim on FB
Great movie - low budget, high tension
jessicasriley13 October 2015
This movie was absolutely brilliant. Who could have thought that a movie about the friendship between two old men could have me holding my breathe to that extent.
I don't think I've ever seen Stephen Graham in anything before but oh. my. god. He kills it. Consider me a fan. His portrayal of this weird kind-of-pathetic-but-also-threatening security guard is absolutely amazing. Conleth Hill is also great as always. (Yay Lord Varys!) The plot had the right amount of twists and snags, and I was glued to my seat trying to figure out where it was going and how it was going to end. Another viewer made a comment that this was a 'nice little movie.' With all due respect to him/her, I think a more accurate way to describe it would be: 'tense.'
Highly, highly recommend it. I hope it gets the audience and the recognition it deserves. Thank you to the director for making such an incredible film.
I don't think I've ever seen Stephen Graham in anything before but oh. my. god. He kills it. Consider me a fan. His portrayal of this weird kind-of-pathetic-but-also-threatening security guard is absolutely amazing. Conleth Hill is also great as always. (Yay Lord Varys!) The plot had the right amount of twists and snags, and I was glued to my seat trying to figure out where it was going and how it was going to end. Another viewer made a comment that this was a 'nice little movie.' With all due respect to him/her, I think a more accurate way to describe it would be: 'tense.'
Highly, highly recommend it. I hope it gets the audience and the recognition it deserves. Thank you to the director for making such an incredible film.
The pink elephant in the room.....
FlashCallahan7 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Reading the plot summary for the film sounded like a straight up psycho thriller that would have sited comfortably in Michael Douglas' résumé if this were made 20 years ago, so my initial expectations were pretty much fair to middling.
Sandy leads a comfortable life in Belfast. He's a university lecturer and a regular guest on a popular television arts programme.
His one novel, though published many years ago, is still in print and regarded a classic. But Sandy has a habit of stealing things for kicks. S
Shoplifting has become the one little thrill in his overly domesticated life - but when Sandy gets caught by Robert, a desperately lonely security guard, his life is turned inside out.......
Although the film has very little to,surprise you with its narrative, it's the performances from the two leads that really make the film stand out. Ever since This Is England, Graham has that knack of really striking fear into the viewer whenever he is on screen, even in those overblown Johnny Depp in make up films.
And this is what grips you from the very moment his hand grips Sandy's shoulder, you are waiting for the moment that Sandy says something or does something that will turn their pseudo relationship sour, and it's not as subtle as you'd think.
All the tropes of these psycho thrillers are here though, and it deters the film for being as excellent as it should be, it relies on the performances of the protagonist/antagonist (which sounds silly I know), rather than being daring and do something more original.
Even though it harks back to Unlawful Entry/Pacific Heights/Single White Female/ Consenting Adults/Fatal attraction, I couldn't help but think it was more of a hybrid of Misery meets The Cable Guy.
It sounds like a damning criticism of the film. It's really not. It doesn't stretch the premise within an inch of its life, it doesn't use any cheap parlour tricks to get cheap thrills.
It's just a purely entertaining film with two wonderful performances, and one hell of an ending.
It's so unexpected.
Well worth seeking out.
Sandy leads a comfortable life in Belfast. He's a university lecturer and a regular guest on a popular television arts programme.
His one novel, though published many years ago, is still in print and regarded a classic. But Sandy has a habit of stealing things for kicks. S
Shoplifting has become the one little thrill in his overly domesticated life - but when Sandy gets caught by Robert, a desperately lonely security guard, his life is turned inside out.......
Although the film has very little to,surprise you with its narrative, it's the performances from the two leads that really make the film stand out. Ever since This Is England, Graham has that knack of really striking fear into the viewer whenever he is on screen, even in those overblown Johnny Depp in make up films.
And this is what grips you from the very moment his hand grips Sandy's shoulder, you are waiting for the moment that Sandy says something or does something that will turn their pseudo relationship sour, and it's not as subtle as you'd think.
All the tropes of these psycho thrillers are here though, and it deters the film for being as excellent as it should be, it relies on the performances of the protagonist/antagonist (which sounds silly I know), rather than being daring and do something more original.
Even though it harks back to Unlawful Entry/Pacific Heights/Single White Female/ Consenting Adults/Fatal attraction, I couldn't help but think it was more of a hybrid of Misery meets The Cable Guy.
It sounds like a damning criticism of the film. It's really not. It doesn't stretch the premise within an inch of its life, it doesn't use any cheap parlour tricks to get cheap thrills.
It's just a purely entertaining film with two wonderful performances, and one hell of an ending.
It's so unexpected.
Well worth seeking out.
fantastic
watcher201910 December 2020
One of the best films i have seen this year. Keeps you interested right from the start and at the end you are on the edge of your seat. You know what you want to happen.................does it? Dont miss this excellent thriller . Great acting from the 2 lead roles.
Original clever low budget psychological thriller
peterrichboy18 June 2017
I new nothing about this movie apart from the always watchable Stephen Graham was in it. Well as usual Graham was excellent as the lonely security guard who catches a local TV celebrity shop lifting. He then uses this to blackmail the celebrity, but instead of money it's his friendship he craves. What follows is an original fast paced psychological thriller full of plot twists and turns that never fail to keep you gripped and entertained. It shows you don't have to spend a hundred million dollars to make a good movie, and trust me this is a good movie highly recommended.
The best thriller I've watched in a while in this genre after Misery!
VamshiGK8 March 2020
If you liked Misery then this will blow your mind. I loved how tight the movie was and there was no lag or any deviation from the actual plot. The ending blew my mind. Both the lead actors just were so perfect. This movie will surely stay with you for at least few hours after done. Must watch. Kudos to the director /writer and Netflix for providing the platform for it.
Intense in all the emotions!
sandrao-478-87603913 May 2019
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