A woman finds herself stuck in a controlling and abusive relationship in the powerful short educational film Purgatory #Breakthecycle. Check out our review.
A topic that is shocking to many, but relatable to more, relationship abuse is heartbreakingly rife around the world. In 2020, the UK had an estimated 2.3 million adults experiencing domestic abuse according to the Crime Survey. On top of that, the police in England and Wales reported that they had recorded 758,941 domestic abuse crimes, which was an increase of 9% from 2019. We have all either been the victim of abuse or know someone who has been abused at some point. Something needs to be done, and fast.
Director Jack Stockley is helping to raise the awareness of domestic abuse with his latest short, and educational film Purgatory #Breakthecycle.
Lileth (Shaylyn Gibson) wakes to find her husband Adam (Scott Hume) sat on the side of the bed, holding a mug of tea. After giving her the breakfast drink, checking if she had a nice sleep, and kissing her on the forehead, he sets off for work. All seems normal and loving in the relationship at first, but then we get to witness little instances of controlling until things just get worse for Lileth.
Finding out she is still bleeding after using the toilet, Lileth states that she should go to the doctor’s to be checked over, but her husband soon talks her out of it, and call her a few names too. Then Lileth’s mother calls to see if she can visit that coming Saturday. When the subject is raised of an evening meal, Adam sees red, demands his wife block her own mother’s phone number, and proceeds to destroy his wife’s meal before storming off.
Coming in at just over twenty minutes, Purgatory #Breakthecycle is a tough watch, but one can’t help but be impressed with the look of the short, the sound, and the direction by Jack Stockley. The performances by both Shaylyn Gibson and Scott Hume are very strong. Gibson plays Lileth as a woman pushed through many emotional wringers, and although she is aware she is involved in a toxic relationship, she continues to push through, hoping things will change for the better. Hume, like Gibson, is also excellent, his domineering Adam is so wicked in how he treats his wife, we the viewers can’t help but hate him, which is the sign of the character being portrayed well.
You can watch the film for yourselves via the website www.purgatory.online, where you can also donate to the charities working with domestic relationships. It’s definitely a worthy cause.
Purgatory #Breakthecycle is a hard watch, but ever so rewarding. It’s a film that should be shared and watched by as many people as possible.
