Adam works night shifts at a motorway service station and lives a small and lonely life. Upon hearing that his estranged father has died, he finds himself in search of answers. Piecing together a complicated image of a man he never knew, Adam starts to become convinced he descends from an alien race.

Written and directed by Moin Hussain, Sky Peals is an unconventional sci-fi drama about alienation in modern Britain, with breathtaking cinematography (shot on 35mm film) and a breakthrough lead performance by Faraz Ayub.

The Garden Cinema View:

A tangible oneiric atmosphere seeps into this mysterious service station-set debut. The liminal spaces of the motorway and rest stop conjure an insomniac sense of detachment akin to Cronenberg’s Crash. But rather than Ballard’s numbed yuppies, Sky Peals concerns the alienation of working class Midlands life. A glacial pace and Faraz Ayub’s insular performance generate a sense of drag and drift that may induce tedium for some viewers. A sensation that is admittedly in keeping with the nocturnal canvas of loneliness, grief, and, potentially, a neurodivergent experience.

Cast:
Faraz Ayub, Natalie Gavin, Claire Rushbrook, Simon Nagra, Steve Oram