Rhys Marc Jones’s Black Church Bay is not for the faint of heart. Centring on an affair between Tom Cullen (House of the Dragon, Downton Abbey) as older teacher Barry and Joe Locke (Heartstopper, Agatha All Along) as 18-year-old student Jasper, the darkness is always on display. When Jasper goes missing during their secret boat trip together, Barry scrambles to cover up his own involvement while trying desperately to find out what happened to the boy.
It’s amazing to think about how much the whole film could fall apart in the hands of a lesser actor. Then, it’s a testament to Tom Cullen’s ability that it thrives so well. Jones’s screenplay portrays Barry as predatory and cowardly, knowingly engaging inappropriately with a young student. Rather than revealing information that could save the boy, he always attempts to retain his own reputation. However, drawing on Mads Mikkelsen in The Hunt, Cullen manages to walk the seemingly impossible tightrope. He admirably maintains the push-and-pull of audiences rooting for and against Barry, while finding the depth in a character that could have so easily felt shallow.
Joe Locke’s standout performance as Jasper, “a character with a lot more layers,” marks a “very much darker role” for the actor, he said in an interview with Quench and CUTV. It’s easy to see what he means; the sassy, self-assured student we see from the start is recontextualised repeatedly as new truths are unveiled. It’s a bold, brave turn, a stark departure from characters like Charlie Spring or Billy Maximoff. Locke appreciates the opportunity to represent the LGBTQIA+ community in “so many different ways,” though. “I love being a queer person and I love telling queer stories,” he told Cardiff Student Media.
While Black Church Bay is deeply disturbing, it is also distinctly Welsh, stunningly shot on location in Anglesey. Jones and cinematographer Lasse Ulvedal Tolbøll always find opportunities to gaze into characters’ psychologies and the gorgeous landscapes surrounding them. The film is a must-see on the big screen for the sheer immersion and tension the visuals generate.
That Welsh flavour is something Cullen is incredibly enthusiastic about. “I’m immensely proud of being Welsh,” he told CUTV and Quench. “All I want to do is put Welsh stories on the screen and highlight how beautiful, diverse, and magic Wales is. The more stories we can tell, the better.”
Welsh Actress Rakie Ayola shares the sentiment, starring as commanding-yet-considerate head teacher Mrs. Munroe in one of the film’s most memorable performances. The Ely-born-and-raised actor explained how her accent was not as recognisably Welsh as more traditional, “lyrical” variants. Consequently, casting companies asked her to alter or drop it entirely for “the first couple decades of [her] career.”
“It’s taken all this time,” she continued, but she’s recently had more chances to finally get to share her natural accent on screen. Ayola was particularly happy about getting to do so in Netflix’s Kaos, where she starred as the Greek goddess Persephone. She starred alongside her on-screen husband David Thewlis, who also adopted his own accent for his role. It’s a decision that delighted many viewers; the Screen Nation Awards nominee told us how so many people have said, “it was so lovely to hear that accent,” adding that she was “very grateful” to showcase herself more accurately. This increased opportunity for self-expression is certainly welcome in Black Church Bay. Her character of Mrs. Munroe feels all-the-more authentic as a result.
Black Church Bay is the first time director Rhys Marc Jones has made a feature-film after a series of shorts. He cites his experience making them as reason for the success of his newest venture. “There’s quite a lot of stuff from those in this,” he told Cardiff Student Media, comparing the shorts to “test runs” which helped him “figure things out.” However, despite making a big jump to feature-filmmaking, the move came naturally to Jones. It felt right for this idea, which has “stayed with him” since first coming up with it in 2019. “Why do you fall in love with someone? It’s almost indescribable.”
The film itself is an admirable exercise in tension and restraint. It’s both an exciting, engaging watch and a strong sign that his sensibilities suit his upcoming project idea perfectly. Quench and CUTV can reveal exclusively that Jones is “writing a script for a ghost story horror film.” He explained his plans for “a bigger scale” production “set in the Victorian times.” Beyond that, the director has plans to explore “a few TV ideas.”
Wherever the cast and crew of Black Church Bay go next, one thing is clear: their latest work is a must-watch. Thrilling and thoughtful, the film will keep you engaged for the entire runtime and thinking long after the credits roll. Whether you want to or not, you might just fall in love with it.
Black Church Bay is due to release in the UK in Spring 2027.
Words by Isaak Hewitt
Photos by Isaak Hewitt and Sofia Simaan Cantuaria
