Rye Lane (2023)
Director: Raine Allen-Miller
Screenwriters: Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia
Starring: David Jonsson, Vivian Oparah, Poppy Allen-Quarmby, Simon Manyonda, Benjamin Sarpong-Broni
Growing up in the UK almost guarantees some level of fascination with the United States; Americana is woven into our cultural imagination. That familiarity often leads to the question: why don’t we celebrate our own places with the same affectionate grandeur? British towns rarely have the romantic-sounding names that lend themselves so easily to myth and nostalgia. Still, Raine Allen-Miller’s debut feature, Rye Lane, embraces this idea by lovingly spotlighting Peckham — and, more specifically, the streetlife that spills off the high street and into the neighbourhood’s veins.
Rye Lane is at heart a film about two people who spend a day together and, in the process, find more than either expected. The premise is simple and unforced: two flawed, vibrant characters meet, talk, wander and slowly learn to see themselves through one another. The film nods to the tradition of British romantic comedies — the warm, satisfying climax that leaves you with a comfortable glow rather than a challenge to your beliefs — but it also brings fresh energy through voice, setting and detail.
We meet Dom (David Jonsson) in a public restroom, quietly sobbing in a gender-neutral cubicle. He refers to his split as “the breakup,” the defining rupture in an otherwise ordered life: supportive parents, a job that aligns with his studies, and a steady sense of self. Yas (Vivian Oparah) overhears his muffled distress and, despite his attempts to time his cries with the sound of a flushing toilet, she quickly draws him out and starts a conversation. Dom’s bright pink Converse make him easy to spot at a mutual friend’s art exhibition, and their encounter begins there, awkward and genuine.
Their walk through South London is the film’s spine: a single day that unfolds like a series of small discoveries. Dom is an accountant who has moved “back” home—back because his ex-partner slept with his primary-school best friend, forcing him out of the home he once shared. With admirable but tentative composure, he plans to meet his ex and the friend for dinner to clear the air. Yas, with her strong sense of fairness and a mischievous streak, gatecrashes the meeting and injects an unexpected, cathartic form of humour and defiance.
Yas is an aspiring costume designer chasing the life she imagines for herself. She’s also recovering from a breakup, but she tells her story like someone who has already taken back control. Her anecdotes—sharp, funny and sometimes self-mythologising—reveal a young woman who understands how to craft the image she wants others to see. Dom admires her confidence, though he is less certain about his own future and more guarded about showing vulnerability.
For Londoners, Rye Lane feels instantly familiar. The film layers real neighbourhood landmarks with small fictional details that slot into the cityscape so naturally it feels lived-in. But beyond geography, it’s the people who make the film unmistakably London: their accents, their attitudes, their mixed social circles and layered family histories. Every supporting character, however brief their appearance, feels richly textured. The film recognises and celebrates a defining urban truth: a city like London holds vast differences and allows them to coexist in the same space.
One of the film’s quieter themes is the paradox of London as a city that never truly sleeps yet always seems to impose a time limit on its own life. Tourists hear about the Night Tube; locals know the realities of the night bus and the small compromises that shape how you spend an evening. Yas wants to stay up through the night, to let the city keep breathing around them. Dom, the practical accountant, measures the cost of another hour out. That gentle tension is a familiar negotiation for many of the film’s audience and it’s handled with warmth rather than melodrama.
Yes, Rye Lane has the predictability of a classic British romcom: its narrative beats are comfortable, familiar and designed to leave you content. Yet the film distinguishes itself by focusing on texture and humanity. Background action matters here; each scene contains small details that enrich the world and make even short exchanges feel consequential. The result is a film that feels busy and vibrant in the same way London does—so real that even its predictable arc feels earned rather than formulaic.
Rye Lane ultimately tells the story of two imperfect people discovering peace and clarity in each other’s company. It’s a reminder that life can be simpler if we allow it to be, and that beauty often appears in everyday moments when we are open to noticing them. The film’s charm is in that noticing: in the gestures, the streets, the mismatched details that, together, form an affectionate portrait of modern urban life.
Score: 20/24
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5)
By Rob Jones
Recommended reading: 2024 BAFTA nominations – full list (reference)
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