Rent On the Sea (2025)
3.7 of 5 from 51 ratings
1h 51min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Jack (Barry Ward) has been married to Maggie (Liz White) for over half his life. He works as a Hand Raker on the mussel beds in North Wales alongside his younger brother, Dyfan (Celyn Jones), and Dyfan's three sons. Jack has always assumed that his own boy, Tom (Henry Lawfull), will join the family business on leaving school but Tom's resistance to follow in his footsteps creates familial tension. Tensions are further inflamed by the arrival of an itinerant deckhand, Daniel (Lorne MacFadyen), who makes known his feelings for Jack. In this remote, rural community where life revolves around Church and fishery, Jack is faced with an impossible dilemma. 'On the Sea' is a beautiful, sensual and at times, tragic exploration of masculinity, place and desire. - Actors:
- Barry Ward, Lorne MacFadyen, Liz White, Henry Lawfull, Celyn Jones, Danny Webb, Callum Hymers, Sheldon Jones, Tristan Jones, Kieran Roberts, Leisa Gwenllian, Lisa Jen Brown, Robert Gwyn Davin, Julian Lewis Jones, William Huw, Owen Arwyn, Aaron Leacock, Chukwudalu Molokwu, Elena Valentine, Luke Richards
- Directors:
- Helen Walsh
- Producers:
- David A. Hughes, David Moores
- Writers:
- Helen Walsh
- Aka:
- Face à la mer
- Studio:
- Matchbox Films
- Genres:
- Drama, Lesbian & Gay, Romance
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 07/09/2026
- Run Time:
- 111 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM Stereo
- Subtitles:
- None
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 2.10:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Deleted Scenes
- Cast Interviews
- Trailer
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Reviews (1) of On the Sea
Mussel Daddy Issues - On the Sea review by griggs
North Wales looks gorgeous, even when everyone’s ankle-deep in mud and dodging any conversation about their feelings.
Barry Ward plays Jack, a married mussel farmer whose settled life comes unstuck when a younger deckhand catches his eye. He makes the turmoil believable, all clenched jaw and sideways glances. The pair have chemistry, though Helen Walsh seems in a hurry to turn a few charged looks into an affair, and Daniel stays a bit of a sketch.
The mussel beds give the film a real sense of place, while even a grey, bleak Ynys Môn looks weirdly inviting. Ward and Liz White are good, but their Welsh accents occasionally wander off for a paddle. The excellent Leisa Gwenllian barely gets a look in, while White’s Maggie deserves more attention.
The story feels awfully familiar, Brokeback with added shellfish, and I could see every turn coming.
Jack’s struggle convinced me. I just wish I’d cared more about where it led him.
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.