“It’s a film about a family who don’t communicate but who are obsessed with words”: Director Carl Hunter on Sometimes Always Never

From British director and screenwriter Carl Hunter (and bassist in the Liverpool-based band The Farm) comes this Merseyside-set drama following tailor Alan who is obsessed with Scrabble. After an intense round of the classic board game, his eldest son leaves the house in a strop but never comes back. Many years later, Alan sets about a search for him with his second son Peter, with whom his relationship is less than perfect. Behind the script is Hunter’s working partner Frank Cottrell Boyce (24 Hour Party People), who ensures it holds plenty of sharp wit, while a distinctive aesthetic brings to life the subtleties of the family’s complex and ever-shifting dynamics. The excellent Bill Nighy interprets Alan while rising British star Sam Riley is in the role of Peter and the supporting cast boasts Alice Lowe, Jenny Agutter and Tim McInnerny.

We sat down with director Carl Hunter at London Film Festival where he told us about what inspired the premise of the film, working with his tranche of British talent, not least the inimitable Bill Nighy, and what he expects viewers will take away from Sometimes Always Never.

Sarah Bradbury
Video: Filippo L’Astorina

Sometimes Always Never is released nationwide on 14^th June 2019. Read our review here.

Watch the trailer for Sometimes Always Never here: