The film that shows where the movie industry is going wrong

It’s a unique and beautiful piece of movie-making but can’t crack the multiplexes, writes James Moore

A scene from ‘Bait’ which has garnered rave reviews from critics and cinemagoers (Early Day Films)

Bait is a Cornish film that has hooked critics and cinemagoers wherever it has been shown. The black and white feature tells the story of a Cornish fishing village and the tensions between residents and incomers, younger and older generations, that simmer within it. It’s both poignant and relevant. It also, however, has something to say about the film industry.

Director Mark Jenkin used clockwork cameras and 16mm film to shoot it. The sound effects and the actors’ voices were added afterwards, giving it the look of a foreign language film dubbed into English.

Perhaps it’s this very uniqueness, in an era of CGI-heavy blockbusters, that put off the major chains. They were all invited to attend screenings by the British Film Institute, which is serving as the film’s distributor. They just didn’t bite.