Boiling Point delivers as an engrossing one-shot wonder wrought with tension and dense in character.

The one-take film has grown in popularity over the years, from Oscar winner Birdman and 1917, to indie thrillers Watch the Sunset and One Shot. The latest entry in the growing sub-genre, Boiling Point, proves to be one of the best yet. Directed and co-written by Philip Barantini (Villain), the film is set within the high-pressure world of a popular restaurant, and it’s a case of setting and style matched perfectly.

Boiling Point stars Stephen Graham as Andy Jones, the head chef and owner of a popular restaurant. With a full booked night of patrons ahead of him, Andy is met with numerous obstacles with his kitchen staff and demanding customers, all while dealing with his own personal life that has become a shambles.

Set within the limited confines of a restaurant, Barantini creates an intimate experience where every facet, front bar to back kitchen, is explored. The audience is very much a fly-on-the-wall as we witness the cogs in this system crumble and stall under the weight of a damaged man corrupted by influences external and personal.

There are moments in Boiling Point that are exhilarating, anxiety inducing, and heartbreaking, yet are nevertheless immensely engrossing to watch, so good is Barantini’s deft hand at capturing this busy, stress filled night that is as gripping as any thriller. Barantini’s execution of the one-take technique is so smooth and proficient that the method of his moviemaking melts away as the story and characters takes hold.

Key to the film’s success is the naturalistic performances from its cast, led by an excellent Stephen Graham. A portrayal of bottled-up tension masked by the veneer of control all while sucking on his white-water bottle as if it were mothers milk, Graham finds that line between chaos and fragility and walks that tightrope with magnificent skill.

At times the rawness of these characters and the emotion they evoke is painful watch, yet so good is Graham’s performance and Barantini’s direction that Boiling Point excels as a film of stellar craft and character told with immense skill and feeling.