‘I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning’ Review: An All-Stars-of-Tomorrow Cast Elevates Clio Barnard’s Drama

Clio Barnard’s latest film, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning, puts the city of Birmingham center stage as a character in its own right. The drama is a poignant portrayal of working-class life in post-industrial England, where Brutalist architecture serves as a potent symbol of social inequality and neglect.

Barnard weaves together a complex narrative that explores relationships, histories, and struggles defining the lives of her characters. At its heart lies a quintet of friends: Patrick (Anthony Boyle), Rian (Joe Cole), Oli (Jay Lycurgo), Conor (Daryl McCormack), and Shiv (Lola Petticrew). Each character has their own unique voice and perspective on the world around them.

The film’s strongest aspect is its cast, delivering performances that are nuanced and affecting. Boyle and Petticrew stand out, bringing depth and emotional resonance to their characters’ struggles with identity, community, and the search for a better life.

I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning is more than just a character study or a showcase for its talented cast. It’s also a scathing critique of policies that have ravaged urban communities across Britain. The film depicts crumbling tower blocks and high-rise demolition as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting working-class people’s needs.

As Conor’s apartment complex rises from the ashes, it’s impossible not to think of other developments built in its wake – projects touted as solutions to urban poverty but ultimately perpetuating systemic inequalities. The Grenfell Tower disaster looms large over this narrative, a haunting specter of what happens when profit and power take precedence over people’s lives.

Barnard’s decision to adapt Keiran Goddard’s novel for the screen is bold, particularly given the challenges of translating its non-linear, first-person interior monologues into cinematic form. While transitions between characters can feel jarring at times, the film’s overall rhythm is propulsive and engaging.

One striking aspect of I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning is its use of archive footage to contextualize the lives of its characters within a broader history of urban development. The image of Oli gazing out upon the demolition of his childhood neighborhood serves as a powerful metaphor for how our environments shape us, and vice versa.

As Birmingham’s story unfolds on screen, it raises important questions about community, identity, and belonging in the face of rapid urban change. What does it mean to be from this city, with its complex history of industrial decline and rebirth? How do working-class people navigate gentrification as new developments and amenities transform their neighborhoods?

I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning poses these questions without easy answers, instead offering a nuanced and compassionate portrayal of a city in transition. The film will resonate with anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider or struggled to find their place within the urban landscape.

Ultimately, Barnard’s drama is not just about Birmingham – it’s about us and our relationship to the built environment around us. As we watch these characters fight for their homes, identities, and way of life, we’re reminded that their struggles are ours too. The buildings may fall like lightning, but it’s the bonds between people that truly sustain us in adversity.