Fantastic Fest ’23: Jackdaw is a Greek tragedy by way of motocross Batman at Christmas

This is part of our coverage of new genre films premiering at Austin’s Fantastic Fest. 

The most commonly argued idiom in the film world is “There’s nothing new under the sun.” While it’s true an aversion to new stories or approaches fills cineplexes with remakes, reboots, and requels. However, on the indie side of things, many filmmakers find new ways to approach worn-out tales with wild-ass takes on genre staples. With that verve and fire in mind, Jackdaw (aside from a few bumps in the road) is one of the more intriguing trips into the noir-revenge corner of cinema.

Along England’s North Sea, former motocross champion and army vet Jack (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), wants to take himself and his brother Simon (Leon Harrop), who has Down Syndrome, away from their childhood home. Unfortunately, he has no money to do it. In a desperate move, he decides to take on a quick job for low-level gang leader Silas (Joe Blakemore), which involves an open-water package pickup under cover of darkness.

When the score leads to a double-cross and Simon’s kidnapping, Jack is forced to channel his inner vigilante and blaze a trail of revenge that will alter the future of his home.

Jackdaw announces it’s worth your time from the jump with an eclectic score by Deadly Avenger & Si Beeg and opening with a kayak vs. jet ski chase. While the revenge aspect is the key focus, how that tale is charted is entirely different. Jack has numerous skeletons in his closet and is forced to confront them all, but not necessarily through violence that’s typically associated with this sub-genre.

For a feature debut, Jamie Childs shows he more than has the goods as a director. A lot of that may have to do with cutting his chops as a television journeyman, directing multiple episodes of Doctor Who, His Dark Materials, The Sandman, and Willow. With Jackdaw, Childs shows he understands the importance of characters and action, the majority of which is placed on Jackson-Cohen’s broad shoulders. He gives Jack layers, facing years of guilt from the people and events he left behind before running off to join the Army. 

Childs does a stellar job stacking the cast with recognizable faces that help ground the somewhat heightened reality. Former flame Bo (Jenna Coleman) struggles with her joy in seeing Jack. Eddy (Vivienne Acheampong), a mid-tier gangster, runs her empire from the back of a gym. Then there’s the terrific inclusion of Thomas Turgoose of This Is England fame. His weaselly drug-addled Craig is easily one of the film’s highlights.

Things in this world operate with a twinge of surrealism—motocross bikes, for example, are like a mythical force—and this innate sense of weirdness makes Jackdaw memorable. There’s a tinge of Greek tragedy to Jack’s backstory, as well as symbolic allusions to Batman. People call Jack “The Jackdaw,” (a black bird related to crows), with Craig as his Robin-like sidekick, Bo as his Selina Kyle, and Silas as his Joker.

Jackdaw may not be a hugely original revenge tale, but it uses its tropes to tell a solid story packed with a keen visual flair and a soundtrack that will reverberate long after the credits roll. Besides, where else can you see a horse chase a motorbike, in what is eventually revealed to be a secret Christmas film? 

With his apparent passion project out of the way—Childs serves as writer, producer, and director on the piece—it’ll be interesting to see what he writes or directs next. Jackdaw is impressive on a small scale, and given Childs’ proven TV background, it’s exciting to fathom what he could do with a serious budget and studio backing. Only time will tell.