A 1993 British black comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh and starring David Thewlis as Johnny, a loquacious intellectual and Conspiracy Theorist who vents his rage on unsuspecting strangers as he embarks on a nocturnal London odyssey.
The film marked a new career-high for Leigh as a director and made the then-unknown Thewlis an internationally recognised star.
Tropes:
- The Art of Bra Removal: Johnny has trouble opening Sophie's corset until she shows him a shortcut by opening the zipper on the backside.
- Bait-and-Switch: When Johnny visits the older lady across the street and she falls asleep, it's made to look like he is about to snatch valuables from her apartment. But then it's revealed he only grabbed a couple of books.
- The Dandy: Sebastian, the landlord from hell.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Johnny is intelligent but uninterested in pursuing a career.
- Cathartic Scream: Johnny lets one out after the poster man drives off with his bag.
- Conspiracy Theorist: He believes in Nostradamus' predictions and that the world will end in 1999.
- Contemplate Our Navels: Johnny will occasionally embark on existentialist monologues.
- Get Out!: The Cafe Girl has a sudden change of heart and demands Johnny to leave her apartment.
- Home-Early Surprise: Sandra returns from her holiday on Friday while she was only expected back on Sunday. She is appalled by what she has to witness in the house.
- Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Johnny is a jerk but also displays redeeming traits like offering a cigarette to the turret guy or buying his starving girlfriend a meal.
- Jitter Cam: The hand-held camera work in the opening scene invokes a sense of urgency in Johnny's attempt to leave Manchester.
- My Parents Are Dead: An unconfortable moment during following discussion:Johnny: How's your mum?Louise: Fine. How's yours? Still pulling pints?Johnny: She's dead. - Beat - She's still a good fuck though.
- The Peeping Tom: On his shift, the nightguard likes to watch the woman across the street.
- Shout-Out: At the Cafe Girl's place, Johnny jokingly warns her not to creep up on him in the shower with a big knife dressed up as her mother.
- Slip into Something More Comfortable: Johnny jokingly suggests this to Sandra when they are alone. She ignores his comment entirely.
- Thanks for the Mammary: Name checked by Johnny when Sophie take his hand and playfully places it on her breast.
