After a one-night stand between flatmates results in an unexpected pregnancy, Eilidh (Elle Watson) and Cameron (James Rottger) have to decide what their relationship is before their new baby arrives. Premature by Kevin Walls explores the uncertainty of twenty-something-year-old love with a unique touch of Glasgow.

Eilidh is a passionate artist, but doubt has taken over. In contrast, Cameron has that rigid tunnel vision that says, “I must be successful,” which makes him miss exciting opportunities around him. They weirdly complement each other: Cameron gives Eilidh that push to believe in herself, and Eilidh gives Cameron the realization that life doesn’t need to be straightforward.

Living not too far outside of Glasgow, I was happy to see a film that didn’t involve ‘Junkies’ or ‘Neds,’ a common stereotype about the city’s people. Walls presents the city differently. His stunning cinematography highlights the city’s great architecture, including the grand Kelvin Grove Art Gallery and Glasgow University.

Elle Watson and James Rottger both bounce off each other beautifully. They perfectly portray the second-hand embarrassment of trying not to look silly in front of someone you like. Individually, Watson gives a trouble-making, madesense to Eilidh that you never know what plan she has next, and Rottger brings a teacher’s pet energy to Cameron – if he did do anything crazy, you would be shocked.

Good supporting performances include Terry Nelson as Gavin, the third flatmate who skips rent in the limited screen time, has a very good comedic presence as someone who is an absolute chancer to the extent that both Cameron and Eilidh became flatmates in the first place. Also deserving of a shout out is Gail Watson as Isobel, the mom of Eilidh, who doubts the whole art and views it as a fad, though you do sense that she has regret about how unsupportive she has been; and Andrew Rodger‘s Andrew, the father of Cameron, who is shocked by the whole thing but is also secretly happy with the news, as it might finally give his son the wake-up call.

Premature might look like a typical rom-com; however, as audiences spend time with the characters of Eilidh and Cameron, it becomes surprisingly personal, reflecting Roger’s own experiences in a city like Glasgow that can’t be matched.

Review Courtesy of Matthew Allan

Feature image credit to Sonorous Films