Cherry Tree Lane

Plot

In a house at Cherry Tree Lane, distant couple Christine (Rachael Blake) and Mike (Tom Butcher) are eating dinner while their son, Sebastian, is out at football practice. When the doorbell rings and Christine goes to answer it, the couple is attacked by Rian (Jumayn Hunter), Asad (Ashley Chin), and Teddy (Sonny Muslim), who hold them both hostage and tie them up in their front room. Knowing Sebastian will be returning at 9:00PM, the group waits for his return so that they can get revenge on him for grassing on Rian's cousin and getting him sent to prison; Teddy leaves with Mike's credit cards to find a cash machine.

Rian suddenly drags Christine into another room to presumably rape her, leaving Asad to guard a frustrated Mike. Asad allows Mike to have a drink and explains that he is not as violent as Rian, and tells Mike details about his life. Rian's school friends, Beth (Jennie Jacques) and Charman (Corinne Douglas), and Beth's younger brother Oscar, then arrive with an axe for Rian to use on Sebastian. Oscar gets sent into the kitchen, while Teddy returns with Mike's money for Rian to send to his cousin.

Sebastian returns home and is dragged upstairs to his room by the teenagers who begin to torture and beat him. Hearing his son's screams, Mike desperately struggles to free himself, and is able to knock a knife off the dinner table so that he can cut his wrists free. He goes into the next room to find a traumatised Christine tied up and naked underneath a blanket. Arming himself with a candlestick, he attempts to sneak upstairs, but his presence is alerted by Charman who was exiting the bathroom. Asad, Teddy, Charman, and Beth flee from the house, while Mike grapples with Rian, before finally beating him down with the candlestick and then his fists. Christine comes upstairs to comfort a bloodied Sebastian who slowly loses consciousness in her arms, while she hysterically screams for Mike to do something. Mike goes downstairs to call 999, then goes into the kitchen to drink from the tap, when he senses someone behind him and turns around to see Oscar standing there. The film ends with Mike, knife in hand, and Oscar both staring at each other, unsure of what to do next.

Cast

Production

Based on a specially written script template, the film was made for Steel Mill Pictures. The director Paul Andrew Williams began the shooting of the psychological thriller on 16 July 2009 in North London. Ken Marshall produced the film for UK Film Council and Steel Mill Pictures.

Release

The film premiered on 23 June 2010 as part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival 2010. Cherry Tree Lane is part of the Film4 Frightfest on 29 August 2010. Metrodome Distribution holds the rights for the sales in England.

Critical reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics. The Film Blogger dubbed it a "moderately tense thriller", that was "accentuated by a well-developed class commentary and some solid performances".

Title

The film’s name is an ironic reminder of the address of the idealised suburban Banks family in the popular 1964 film Mary Poppins, as well as in the series of books on which the film is based.