It’s a tale as old as time: boy meets girl, boy shares flat with girl due to the spiralling housing crisis, girl falls pregnant after a wholly forgettable one-night stand with boy.
Filmed on location in Glasgow, Premature follows Cameron (James Rottger) and Eilidh (Elle Watson) as they navigate a classic awkward flatmate relationship: conversations restricted to designated fridge space and rent reminders. What this platonic pair were not counting on was a drunken dalliance resulting in a new lodger that will require a tenancy for at least the next 18 years. Embarrassingly for Cameron, the tryst was a distant memory for Eilidh until she was faced with a positive pregnancy test.
The one night of lukewarm passion is revealed through a flashback, a clever directing choice that cuts to the chase and explores how the pair come to terms with their baby bombshell. Level-headed Cameron is the more practical of the two, while Eilidh chooses to deal with the developing situation by ignoring her baby daddy.
Written and directed by Kevin Walls, Premature is a refreshingly natural narrative. As a Glasgow native, delivering this millennial coming-of-age story on a budget of £16,000 was a real labour of love for Walls. In this independent film we are treated to beautiful shots of Scotland’s second city and a soundtrack peppered with Scots musicians.
The performances from Rottger and Watson are central to creating a story where two people can go from virtual strangers to co-parents. They share convincingly awkward chemistry that has the potential to evolve from flatmates to whatever a relationship looks like in 2026. Crucially, Walls has developed Cameron and Eilidh as real people and not caricatures. The seriousness of a doctor’s office is eased by Eilidh’s own bedside manner, and a hormonal hunt for a cot turns into a farce. Walls tenderly toes the line between dramatic and comedic; grown up and childlike.
It asks pressing questions of its main characters: who are they and who do they want to be? Conscientious Cameron laments that he was sold the dream of get good grades, get a degree, get a good job, only to be scraping by as a “glorified intern”. As for Eilidh, she once had dreams of becoming an artist but is a “part time barista with my flatmate’s baby growing inside me”.
In just under 90 minutes, Premature presents an impressive pondering on hopes and dreams without being at all trite. It would be so easy for the film to spout out platitudes, but its believable plot and natural dialogue are what makes it shine. The age-old will-they-won’t-they question never feels forced as we watch Cameron and Eilidh make decisions and mistakes as they navigate this thing called life.
Premature is a warm and gentle film that illustrates two important points: British independent filmmaking must be protected at all costs, and it’s ok to not have it all figured out.
Premature is in cinemas from 18 September.
