"I think somebody's moving in next door..."
Ah yes, the petri dish of second-guessing and sublimated rage is dusted off for this gritty little thriller from first-timer Jed Hart, a writer-director who knows his way around a crawlspace.
The excellent Lyndsey Marshal plays Nicky, a kind soul who's living a lonely life since the death of her parents and her son moving away to college. She works in an understaffed care home, goes above and beyond, and just wants her cat, cakes, and classical music when she gets back home.
Enter Aston McCauley as Deano, the near-feral ne'er-do-well who moves in beside her, cranks up the tunes, and doesn't stop until daybreak.
Sure enough, Nicky's entreats to get along to get along fall on deaf ears, the authorities are no help, and the rest of the neighbours don't want any bother.
Stage set, how far can you push someone before you realise you've really gone too far?
For all its twitching-curtains tension and walls-closing-in suspense, Restless also puts some trippiness and charcoal humour into the urban mix as Nicky comes out of her shell - and roars.
It's another example of a movie transcending budget limitations to become a small story done well; Hart deftly explores the dynamics of not wanting any trouble but trouble wanting you, and there are nice moments of comedic respite courtesy of Irish actor Barry Ward as Nicky's hapless friend/last-resort love interest Kev.
The one disappointment is that after getting many things right, Hart doesn't make enough of McCauley as Deano, a better villain than the script allows him to be. Along with Hart, McCauley is someone worth keeping an eye on in the future.
More Creepy Corrie than Pacific Heights, Restless will have a longer life in homes than it will in cinemas. A good late-night watch in the months ahead - just keep the volume down, eh?
