Soft Lad *** (2015, Jonny Labey, Suzanne Collins, Daniel Brocklebank, Laura Ainsworth, Craig Stein) – Classic Movie Review 12,743

‘We can’t always have what we want.’

Writer/ director Leon Lopez’s impressive, engrossing 2015 British emotional drama film Soft Lad is an enterprising micro budget self-funded feature starring Daniel Brocklebank, Jonny Labey, Suzanne Collins, Craig Stein and Laura Ainsworth. It is quite fresh and refreshing.

Soft Lad is quite talky but the talk is pretty good, and the drama pretty darned dramatic. It runs like a stage play, or a TV drama, with its long dialogue scenes, but it is strong and powerful, and doesn’t falter much at all, despite some very highly emotional moments and some slightly clunky tricky lines. Performances are very good, especially Jonny Labey as 22-year old David and Suzanne Collins (from Brookside) as his older sister Jane, as well as Daniel Brocklebank as his brother-in-law Jules.

Jonny Labey stars as 22-year old David, who seems to have it all – he’s young, hot and he’s landed a place in a prestigious London dance school. But he has a secret: for two years he’s been sleeping with his sister’s husband, Jules. After an argument between the two lovers, David throws himself into a one-night stand with Sam (Craig Stein), a casual pick-up encounter that turns serious, throwing Jules into meltdown.

It was released by Peccadillo Pictures on 9 November 2015 after various UK cinema screenings.

Lopez said that it was made for less than £20k and filmed in a week, with the cast all staying in the house where most of the action is set. Lopez has got a lot for very little, and that’s great.

Premiere date: 9 July 2015.

Runtime: 87 minutes.

Leon Lopez is also best known for his role on Brookside. Soft Lad is his debut feature film. Suzanne Collins and Lopez met while playing screen lovers in Brookside.

Lopez discovered Jonny Labey while giving a talk as a guest teacher at an acting for screen drama class. Labey went on to play Paul Coker in 104 episodes of EastEnders (2015–2016).

Craig Stein, who plays Sam, choreographed the dance sequence.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,743

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