Adam (Andrew Scott) is a lonely screen writer who works from home in his flat, which is in a high rise block with seemingly no other occupants. He is trying to write something based on his own childhood, and goes through a box of old photos which trigger mixed memories. But then he meets Harry (Paul Mescal), who seems to be the only other resident of the block, and they end up having a passionate love affair.
But Adam is too troubled by the ghosts of his past, which his writing efforts have stirred into life. What follows is a portrait of a disturbed man held in the grip of unresolved grief and love. While the plot is often confusing, and the red herrings swim in shoals, that's an accurate reflection of Adam's state of mind, which increasingly leads him down paths that seem destined to lead to crisis.
It's a powerful evocation of the power of grief to determine our entire life if we allow it to, and the need to share if we are to deal with those issues. The idealised dialogues we allow ourselves to build internally have the ability to take over from reality. In Adam's case the two become increasingly one, and it will take something drastic to bring him out of it.
The performances are strong, and intense, with all four actors (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell have the only other speaking parts) delivering excellent performances. But the film revolves around Scott's troubled Adam, and his portrayal of a man in turmoil, using the past to try and understand himself, is masterful.
This is a movie, and character, that leaves you with questions and stays in the mind for a long while after viewing. Not to be missed.
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