Imagine a gritty British drama about addiction and family tension, but mix in a stolen dog, drug money, and random prayers to Odin. It is raw, messy, and definitely not your average weekend watch.
Coffee and Chaos
Grab a mug of something strong because Valhalla Dreams is a wild ride. This is one of those micro budget British indies that throws a ton of ideas into the mix. We are talking about drug addiction, a grumpy dad moving in with his gay son, secret affairs, and even a stolen dog named Tinkle. Oh, and random moments of Norse mythology. It is messy, but if you have a soft spot for rough around the edges cinema, it has a certain weird charm.
The Folks on Screen
The acting is definitely a mixed bag, which is pretty standard for this level of indie filmmaking. Joe Street plays Struan, the recovering addict who gets pushed back into dealing by his terrible boss. He captures that frantic and stressed out energy well enough. Then you have Christopher Clarke as Hugh, his older partner who works as a fireman. Hugh is trying to keep the household from imploding, and Clarke brings a tired, frustrated vibe to the role that feels quite real.
But the real source of tension is Gerry, played by Brian Goredema-Braid. He is the cynical and difficult dad who moves in and immediately clashes with Hugh. Their bickering takes up a lot of oxygen in the room. Some of the line delivery across the cast is a bit theatrical, making the dialogue feel clunky at times. You can tell they are all giving it their best shot, even when the script gets confusing.
The Vibe of the House
The atmosphere is incredibly cramped and claustrophobic, which actually works for a story about people who are trapped in bad situations. You really feel the tension of this small house where nobody actually wants to be dealing with each other. The camera work and the strange musical score make things feel even more disjointed. It is not polished, and there are moments where you might wonder what exactly is going on, especially when the Odin prayers start happening.
It is not a smooth watch. The pacing is strange, and some plot points just leave you scratching your head. But if you like checking out underground queer films where the creators clearly just wanted to get their story on camera no matter the budget, it is an interesting curiosity. You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-oa6LEP310
