Ashens and the Polybius Heist

First of all, it's rather good. The producers obviously invested in their crew and chose their cast with care, and it shows. Do you need to be an Ashens or Nerdcubed fan already to enjoy the film? I don't think so.

I was relieved to see more of a gender balance than is implied by the poster. The principle women are all excellent and help to lift the film, otherwise it could be conceived as a tad misogynistic.

Overall, the film packs quite a pace. It's funny, engrossing and likeable.

Stuart Ashen himself is a very solid actor - low-key, natural, with a good voice. Dan Hardcastle was top dollar. I also thoroughly enjoyed the OTT villains. Together with Joanna O'Connor, Jarred Christmas knocked my socks off, and their scenes were an absolute delight. I also found Ashens' and Christine's journey a pleasant surprise, providing unexpected emotional depth which came as a welcome contrast to the comedy antics of the Heist team.

There are times when you can see the film-making process has been rushed, a couple of scenes where you feel Barmania must have wished he'd had more time. Others where you can truly appreciate the precision and care taken with set-up and framing. The look of the film costume-wise is unexpectedly stylish.

When you consider the scope of the production, the budget and timescales, you have to give immense credit to Barmania for pulling it all off.

Relentless Films should be very pleased. This is a tremendous start.