The Regulars
Cinephiles all over the world know of the Prince Charles Cinema. It’s the only independent cinema in central London, and it’s famed for its boisterous screenings of Tommy Wiseau’s The Room. Now, it’s at the centre of slice-of-life comedy The Regulars. Made on a shoestring budget of £6,000 from writer-director Fil Freitas (whose real job is a manager at the PCC), the film follows a group of employees during a long shift as they sweep up popcorn, talk about movies, and deal with annoying customers. While that premise may not sound riveting on paper, the warm chemistry between the cast of instantly likeable characters, combined with Freitas’s sharp observational comedy, makes for a genuinely joyous time.
Freitas plays Fil, an employee who arrives late for his shift, to the annoyance of his manager, Sam (Ricardo Freitas). His colleagues include his aspiring photojournalist girlfriend Dusty (Dusty Keeney), perpetually angry bartender Rob (Robert Smith), laidback projectionist Dan (Kevin Johnson), who’s never without a coffee mug, and the new girl, Sophie (Bronte Appleby). Each character has their own distinct personality, but it’s their passion for cinema that unites them (and perhaps what stops them from walking out the door). Scenes of workers bantering about films during their downtime are some of the feature’s most charming moments, with Rob’s sardonic quips about customer screening requests being a memorable highlight.
Shot in black and white and presented in a naturalistic style, Freitas’s film is best described as Clerks for movie fans. Not much happens, and everything moves at a leisurely pace, enabling viewers to become immersed in the everyday goings-on of life in the cinema. While there’s no conventional plot to speak of as the feature moves from scene to scene, the various interactions with customers (which are based on real experiences) are often hilarious and painfully relatable to anyone who’s ever worked in customer service.
The Regulars is a feature that appeals to a very specific audience. It’s a movie about film lovers made by film lovers set within one of the UK’s most famous cinemas. It also has a ton of heart, a fantastic sense of humour, and wonderful characters that anyone will be able to appreciate and adore.
Andrew Murray
The Regulars is released in select cinemas on 22nd August 2025.
Watch the trailer for The Regulars here:
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