Magpie is a Neo-noir thriller that marks the first feature collaboration between Daisy Ridley and her husband Tom Bateman. I read that the idea came from Ridley herself, which was inspired by her role in The Marsh King’s Daughter where she played a mother of a young girl.

Written by Bateman and directed by Sam Yates in his directorial debut, the story follows a stay-at-home mom Anette (Ridley) whose eldest daughter Tilly (Hiba Ahmed) gets cast in a period drama feature film. Anette’s author husband Ben (Shazad Latif) meets the actress Alicia (Matilda Lutz) who plays Tilly’s mother in the film while chaperoning her to set. Ben is immediately smitten by the beautiful Alicia who embraces Tilly like her own daughter.

Reality and fiction could easily get blurred when it comes to personal connections that develop on a film set, but usually, that happens between two actors. What’s interesting is that in Magpie, it’s Ben who gets wrapped up in his infatuation for Alicia that soon he begins projecting his own desires into the relationship. Now, people can definitely get swept off their feet to the point where they’d ditch their current partner. However, it’s more common that there were already issues in their relationship before someone else showed up.

Before Alicia enters the picture, there’s obviously friction between Anette and Ben. Anette is the typically devoted wife who sacrifices her office job to raise their two kids. Yet Ben is always cold and standoffish towards his wife even when she clearly tries to connect with him. It’s soon revealed that Ben was away for months to do research for his next book, leaving her to care for Tilly and her baby brother all by herself.

Bateman’s enigmatic script practically leaves no trace of any happier times between them, leaving me to wonder what drew them together in the first place. A brief meeting between Anette and her former boss Richard (Alistair Petrie) hints at her career in the publishing industry. There’s also an encounter between Anette and an old acquaintance at a park which affirms that Ben has always been a misogynistic jerk.

It’s no surprise to anyone that Ben quickly pursues Alicia with deliberate disregard for his family and that Anette is well aware of his new crush. It leaves viewers pondering what a woman already at her breaking point could do when pushed to her limit. Yates’ slow-burn direction has a creepy vibe with a palpable sense of dread, though a bit too on the nose at times. There’s an actual magpie bird who hits a house window, for example. A magpie signifies sorrow or bad luck in Western cultures, though it actually means the opposite in Eastern cultures.

The story has a real Hitchcock feel to it, with a strong sense of male obsession and some pretty noticeable voyeuristic themes. Laura Bellingham’s evocative cinematography (especially the night shots) and Isobel Waller-Bridge’s ominous score add to the overall eerie vibe.

Ridley continues to show off her range as an actress. She is quite effective in her role as a suffocated mother, all pent-up emotions and repressed desires who’s trying to hold it all together. Latif plays against type as the villain of the story, he’s a talented actor but the character is one-dimensional in that he’s more irritating than alarming. Lutz is given even less to do here, but she’s believable as an alluring but lonely actress. The plot hinges on us believing that Alicia is in a vulnerable state when she meets Ben, which would make the reveal in the end extra oomph. The ending would’ve made more impact if the film provided us with more reasons to care about Anette and Ben’s relationship.

That said, some moments are fun to watch for noir fans. When Anette takes Tilly to the set and runs into Alicia, it creates this uneasy vibe, and the dinner scene is a mix of humor and tension. The conclusion might be predictable but an undeniably satisfying one. I’m glad Ridley continues to pursue a variety of roles aside from Star Wars that display her versatility. All things considered, this proved to be a fruitful collaboration between her and Bateman, it’d be interesting to see the two in another film together after Murder in the Orient Express.

Despite my quibbles, Magpie is a watchable and thought-provoking thriller that makes for a juicy conversation after you watch it. It moves along at a brisk pace and doesn’t overstay its welcome. I always appreciate filmmakers who can deliver their stories in a tight timeframe, and Yates pulled it off in exactly 90 minutes.

What are your thoughts about Daisy Ridley and/or Magpie movie?