500 Miles – Film Review
by Fran Winston

Directed by : Morgan Matthews
Starring: Bill Nighy, Roman Griffin Davis, Dexter Sol Ansell, Masie Williams, Clare Dunne

In cinemas May 15

Based on the children’s book Charlie and Me by Mark Lowery, this is ostensibly a road trip movie in which two young boys, Charlie (Ansell) and Finn (Davis), take it upon themselves to run away and visit their estranged grandfather (Nighy) in Dingle. After pilfering money from their mother (Dunne), they set out on the journey from Sheffield to the west of Ireland.

They begin their journey stowing Charlie in the luggage hold due to a lack of funds, and when Finn meets busker Kait (Masie Williams), she realises they clearly don’t have much money and helps them out on their journey.

Meanwhile, after realising they are missing, the boy’s parents, who have been on the verge of separation, are making a desperate dash to try and catch up with them before they board the ferry at Holyhead.

Ostensibly, this is a road movie. The book on which it is based saw the boys heading for Cornwall, but shifting the action to Dingle makes it the 500 miles (or thereabouts) of the title, and we are reminded throughout how close they are getting to their target.

Jojo Rabbit star Davis and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Ansell are very cute together and have a lovely chemistry. Their scenes of sibling bickering will be relatable to most people. Nighy shines as the guilt-ridden grandfather desperate to reconnect with his family. However, Williams, who is a fantastic actress, seems wasted in her role here with a character that is given lots of exposition but no real emotional depth.

On a personal note, as someone who travels back and forth to the UK a lot, I found the discrepancies in their journey shocking! I appreciate dramatic licence, but it really is contrived.

Since they are supposed to have travelled this journey before with their parents, it is difficult to believe they wouldn’t opt for the more economical sail and rail instead of the roundabout trip we see them undertake on screen.

That aside, from the off you can tell they are shamelessly trying to tug at your heartstrings, and it is somewhat predictable. Despite this, it would take a hard-hearted person not to have something in their eye when the twist is revealed.

I would be lying if I didn’t say this gets a bit schmaltzy, and it is extremely sentimental. It also has several pointless scenes which seem to be box-ticking exercises rather than designed to move the plot along. But it is also very sweet, and the scenes in Dingle are beautifully shot – not that the area needs a tourism boost, but I’m sure it won’t hurt. This is nice and inoffensive and makes for a pleasant evening’s viewing; however, I imagine it will do far better on streaming services down the road than it will in cinemas.