The Spin
Two music lovers embark on a road trip to save their record shop in Michael Head’s endearing Irish comedy.
Image courtesy of Tull Stories.
by MANSEL STIMPSON
It is entirely appropriate to find this film being released by Tull Stories as part and parcel of the distributor’s ‘Joy of Cinema’ strand. This work set in Ireland has no lofty ambitions but is one which in seeking to entertain finds an ideal team in Brenock O'Connor and Owen Colgan. It would appear that these two are acting together for the first time, but they are such a natural fit when playing best friends Dermot and Elvis that you would never guess it. The two men run a record shop in Omagh in County Tyrone which is where the story begins, but the spin of the title is a journey by the two of them by car all the way from there to Cork. Indeed, The Spin is that rare beast: an Irish road movie. Nevertheless, the fact that its central characters run a record store has not surprisingly evoked comparisons with that fondly remembered hit from 2000, High Fidelity.
Indeed, while this is more of a buddy comedy than a musical, music does lie at the heart of this piece. Colin Broderick wrote the screenplay but it is based on a story devised by the Irish musician and composer Mark McCausland who has himself provided the score for the film. The appeal of that music is apparent from the film’s opening moments and it is not going against the character of The Spin when, about two thirds of the way through, it pauses to incorporate a song, ‘Laughs for the Lonely’, which is performed in character by O'Connor, a singer himself. He is heard here with Jimmy The Fist and the McKowski Family Band.
The plot of The Spin is a simple one but adequate for the film’s purpose. The notion is that Dermot and Elvis are some months behind in the rent for their record store and have a difficult landlady, Sadie (Tara Lynne O’Neill). Secretly she is planning to take advantage of their default by arranging to have the store demolished and then to develop the site more profitably. Being unaware of this, Dermot and Elvis think that all will be well if they can raise some money and pay the arrears. By chance they learn online of a man (Barry Devlin) who is selling old records that belong to him at a cheap rate and they decide to take advantage of this when they realise that the recordings include items by the blues singer Robert Johnson which are so rare that they are in fact highly valuable. Consequently, if acquired they could be sold on at a substantial profit. Believing that this will solve their problems, Dermot and Elvis go ahead even though the man lives in Cork and doing the deal will involve driving there.
This set-up provides a storyline which gives a shape to the film, allows for episodic adventures (or misadventures) en route, creates in Sadie a character for the audience to boo and hiss and offers the extra attraction of appealing photography of the Irish landscape. This last feature is particularly well judged given the quality of Sebastian Cort’s photography, the advantage of this being a film shot in wide screen and the judgment of the director Michael Head who never overindulgences this aspect but takes full advantage of it.
These are all beneficial elements, but the key appeal of the film lies in the engaging humorous banter between Dermot and Elvis which is a feature throughout. That it counts for so much is due to O'Connor and Colgan pairing off so well, a fact which contributes to the sense that The Spin is a film that feels intensely affectionate. This is such a potent factor that it scarcely matters if some of the comic ideas are less than fully effective (there is, for example, a rather feeble running gag about potential customers at the record store turning out to expect services that the store doesn't provide).
Despite its modest character, The Spin has picked up awards, not least in a festival in West Lothian where it won not only ‘Best UK Film’ but four other awards too. In addition to including encounters on the road which bring in a nun (Claire Malone) and an American stripper (Kimberly Wyatt), the film also incorporates elements that are close to providing sub-plots. Thus, Elvis who is divorced has rashly promised to buy his young daughter, Lily (Cait Ellis-Gowland), a pony and hopes that he will be able to afford one if the trip to Cork ends successfully. Furthermore, on his journey with Dermot he keeps encountering Debbie (Amy McElhatton) which offers the possibility of a new romance. As for Dermot himself, he is planning to turn his back on his girlfriend, Rose (Maura Higgins), and, rather more significantly in the event, might be tempted to leave Ireland to follow a musical career in America. Unfortunately, it is with this last issue that the film starts to lose its way. Despite the huge appeal that one finds in the bond between Dermot and Elvis, it might have been possible to handle Dermot’s likely departure effectively, even touchingly. But for that to happen some preparation for it was needed in the screenplay and, as it is, the issue comes up too suddenly for us not to feel that this is a betrayal of Elvis and unlikely in its brusqueness as shown here.
This development takes the film off course. Furthermore, the film tries too hard to bring in plot contrivances that will for the most part deliver happy endings all round (indeed in this connection there is footage included within the end credits which audiences should stay seated to see). Thus, it is that we have here a film with a great deal of character to recommend it but one which succumbs to formulaic procedures for its final section. Nevertheless, given that what has preceded that is so endearing and that O'Connor and Colgan have so readily won our hearts, it would not surprise me if most audiences would be in a mood to ignore any falling off in quality and emerge feeling that they have had a good time watching The Spin.
Cast: Brenock O’Connor, Owen Colgan, Tara Lynne O’Neill, Kimberly Wyatt, Leah O’Rourke, Maura Higgins, Amy McElhatton, Claire Malone, Adam McFarland, Cait Ellis-Gowland, Ian Toner, Barry Devlin, Joe Savino, Cian Newell.
Dir Michael Head, Pro Ismail Ismail and Jake Jacovides, Screenplay Colin Broderick, from a story by Mark McCausland, Ph Sebastian Cort, Pro Des Paul Savulesco, Ed Aideen Johnston, Music Mark McCausland.
Forsake Films-Tull Stories.
93 mins. UK. 2025. UK Rel: 27 February 2026. Cert. 15.