SXSW Review: ‘7 Keys’

Abe Friedtanzer

Do you still have the keys to the places you used to live? They might be good for sentimental value, or, if you’re feeling like some casual criminal activity, worth trying to see if the landlord or new owner didn’t actually change the locks. That concept is part of the premise for 7 Keys, an intoxicating, whirlwind thriller about two people who meet and go on a “property porn tour” of London while getting to know each other in a very intimate way. It’s wild and intense and overall quite a unique experience…

Lena (Emma McDonald) gets ready for her first online date, trying to pull her life back together after a rough spot. When her date fails to show, she chats up Daniel (Billy Postlethwaite), the guy at the next table who’s also been stood up. They make an immediate connection, one she wants to continue. He tries to leave, but she turns an innocent kiss on the cheek into a full-on makeout session. After she follows him home and he reluctantly lets her in, their nonstop night begins when she spots his ring of keys and is struck with a twisted idea for fun.

Joy Wilkinson’s feature directorial debut features many vivid close-ups, really getting up close and personal with its characters’ faces so audiences can try to interpret the pulsing energy Lena is bringing to this extended interaction and the reserved passion Daniel is trying to suppress. These two have an electric connection but it’s not entirely clear exactly what has brought both of them to this place in time and what they’re holding back. As those motivations are revealed, the film follows a twisty and sometimes terrifying path towards the truth and some resolution since this breaking-and-entering spree can’t go on forever without consequences.

The notion of people even trying to access their former residences because they may still hold working keys is certainly fodder for nightmares, and this film takes it to a new level because these people are indulging in the experience of being somewhere they’re not supposed to be. McDonald delivers a fully committed and magnetic performance, and it’s formidable to watch Postlethwaite (who is indeed the son of the late Pete) first be subservient and then gradually exert more pushback and personality towards her dominating nature. Watching these two together is a dizzying and unforgettable experience.

7 Keys runs just over ninety minutes but feels like an eternity in that each key unlocks a new adventure and new information about its two protagonists. Capturing all that in such a short span of time is a considerable achievement, and Wilkinson shows great potential for the way in which her story never lets up, even for a moment, and instead continues to bring audiences on an unpredictable and haunting rollercoaster that shows how revealing knowing where someone used to live can truly be. B+

7 Keys is screening in the Visions section at the 2024 SXSW Film and TV Festival.