Films of 2025 Part 4: Surrendering Myself, Living The Pura Vida Life & Sci-fi Development!
- Lucy Moon
- Jan 9
- 12 min read
Hello world! Welcome back to another blog. This is my final instalment of films I saw in 2025, where all of them feature/star a brilliant bunch of members from The Actors Workshop Nottingham. These include a film which I surrendered myself to when I saw the premiere of it, a short film set in Costa Rica and was part of an anniversary event, and a feature film made by a Nottingham director exploring the world of AI.
Surrender To It:
The first film I’m going to view is Surrender To It, starring a brilliant bunch of actors from The Actors Workshop Nottingham, and shot in both Nottingham and Wales in the summer of 2023!
The plot on IMDb goes as follows:
"Chaos ensues when a grieving father reunites with his old actor friends on a mysterious weekend in the UK's wild west."
I had the pleasure to see the screening of this in November 2025, and I'm glad I went to see what everyone worked really hard on.
Daemian Greaves took on the role of Dani Howell. Knowing how much of a committed actor he is, his range throughout the film was second to none. You could also tell that his character was still latching onto an experience that took place before the events of the film, and towards the end whilst he was high on magic mushrooms, he somehow managed to find his way through his pain to move on properly. That is a classic example of how a character can grow throughout the film. And his on screen chemistry with Melissa May smith, who took on the role of Celena Howell, was beautiful to see. At first Dani and Celena seemed to be breaking apart following a traumatic experience which is seen in a flashback, but toward the end when they finally realised how much they cared for each other was very touching. I can definitely see why they were cast in the roles they were picked for. Tim Bryn Smith took on the role of Hugo Lowry, a friend of Celena’s who during her time apart with Dani, was always there for a shoulder to cry on. At first you’d think that Celena would cheat on Dani out of grief, but I’m glad it didn’t come to it. Olivia Bailey took on the role of Erin. I felt that Erin is a regular at the location, as the character definitely seemed to know her way around the trip Dani and his friends were going on. And after seeing them rehearse one particular scene in class which included an electric car joke, I can see why Daemian and Olivia also had brilliant on screen chemistry.
Other amazing work shoppers also took on brilliant roles that definitely made an impact on Dani’s journey. These include Chrissy Hind, played by the lovely Clare McGill. Chrissy was the type of person that would be up for an adventure, but at the same time realises that life is not always sunshine rainbows and unicorns. And she was also a good support in Dani during the weekend away. Chantelle Lee took on the role of Evie Machintosh, your typical social media girl who can’t live without her phone (and to be honest, that’s also me along with other things I can’t live without). And I love her on screen chemistry with Joe Kirton who took on the role of Alex “Cadi” Caddick. You could tell that they clearly had a thing in the past, and what I liked about Cadi was how even though he’s not trying to be funny, some of the stuff he says at the right time made me laugh my head off. One of which was with the magic mushrooms, which made me chuckle. Matthew Thomason took on the role of Sian Arwell. Being the versatile actor I know he is, Matthew did a brilliant job of showing a different range of emotions, from the happy quirky guy he is, to showing a more vulnerable side, especially when he opened up about why his character never pursued acting, and also about his sexuality, which can be seen in a hallucination during a ritual on the woods. Andrew Fletcher took on the role of Ram Richard’s, an actor who got himself into abit of bother, but used the weekend to make the most of the experience. And as well as being friends with him in real life, I love his on screen chemistry with Alex Rose, who took on the role of Rams assistant Pryce Winters. Pryce is the kind of person in a film who at first seemed abit deadpan at first and very strict on certain rules, but then throughout the film we got to see him open up and show a fun side to him. And it was nice seeing him and Chrissy share a moment together at the end of the film, which was really nice. Ben Grace took on the role of Timmy Lawler. Now Ben is a very good friend of mine, and after being open about his personal life, he definitely channeled all of it into the role of Timmy, with a hallucination on magic mushroom showing that Timmy’s dad did wasn’t always supportive, so you can see why Timmy did what he did even though he got himself in trouble for it. And Timmy being high in magic mushrooms was quite entertaining. And Danny Shooter took on the role of Cythraul aka Jeff. Now Danny is quite known for doing his comedy work on instagram, so him being creepy in the beginning of the film was actually really funny! That’s just me from what I’ve seen anyway, but for those that don’t know him, it may be a different story. There were also the Yobs that you do not want to mess with. These included Hannah Sowter as Lexia Lukas, who’s more of the leader of the gang. And after knowing her personally, she definitely brings some of her best work into this role. And I wouldn’t want to mess with Lexia personally. Darren Paul Taylor took on the role of Dea "Dutch" Booogman, who is your typical right hand man. He also fit the bill with this role, as his build, facial expressions and his commitment definitely brought the life. And finally, Ryan Thomas took on the role of Cailan Roberts, who’s the kind of villain who you don’t want to mess with, but can be little bit ditzy at times. But his personality brought lovely funny moments, like a confrontation between him and Cadi. Olivia Fray took on the role of receptionist Fenella. I loved her commitment where her character would much rather be anywhere other than her job, but also found enjoyment in creeping out Dani and co with the myths of where they were staying at. And Alison Martin Jones took on the role of the landlady. She definitely brought her comedy to the film, more specifically when she got to witness Ram Richards up close, which definitely got a good reaction from the audience when I went to see it!
The music score was beautiful to hear. One of them was in the form of Daisy Chapman, who I got the pleasure of listening to at the premiere, and had an amazing voice! And the other was fellow workshopper Laurence James-Davies, who sang his own song “Jericho” both live and in the film. As I’m writing this, the song is officially released, so click the link below to listen to the full song and you can see why it’s so popular!
I don’t think I have any downsides to the film. Not because I’m being biased, but because I know the strengths that my fellow AW friends can reach. But what I will say is that there are some topics in the film that were quite hard to watch, but it’s the topic of grief where we can all relate to, but more powerful if you're a parent. And well done to Daemian and Melissa in particular for really tackling this subject when it came to their characters journey.
Overall I would give the film a full house of 5 out of 5. It was funny, moving, and I could tell that everyone worked really hard on this project for the last 2 and a half years before it was finished. And keep an eye out on their social media and website for the release date of when it goes out onto streaming platforms! Please also see a link to my vlog of when I went to the premiere of the film itself
Instagram: @surrendertoit
TikTok: @surrendertoit
Pura Vida:
The next film I'm going to talk about is Pura Vida, which was shot in Costa Rica in November 2024.
This tells the story of a group of people, some already at the hotel and some heading to a press conference to help raise awareness for a certain reptile, landing themselves in an awkward situation.
Clare McGill took on the role of Stella, who was in Costa Rica on an all expenses holiday. Clare really shone in this film, and her character fitted her perfectly. But I also liked how she channeled her fear when she gets herself into a sticky situation. Kirsty Borbridge took on the role of Callie (or Lilleth), who let’s just say you do not want to mess with, and when you get to the end of the film, you may see it for yourself. There was also cleaner Val (Vernia Chiarell), who was just trying to do her job, but Stella and Callie did everything they could to avoid getting her out of the drama.
There was also a company who came to the country to raise awareness for a common reptile, taking their campaign #savethesalties. Some of its members included Snapi Snaz Marketing manager Rebecca (Clare Moss), who just wanted to make sure that everything went to plan, then there’s Lydia (Sarah Cannon), who even though she was supposed to be a tough character, I thought was funny. But then again that came with knowing her as a person, and she’s one of the loveliest people you will meet. There’s also Bianca (Diana Frempong) who vlogged every move of the trip, and her last trip before she retired was certainly one that she wasn’t expecting, the asthmatic Safety Officer Penny (Samantha Badman) who I think just wanted no trouble on the trip, and Roxi (Zeva Jane), who I think it’s came for the holiday side and not actually work (and I’m sure we’ve all met that person who’s only in it for a holiday).
I think my only downside was that I just simply wanted more! As the end of the film was a perfect surprising but funny twist with regards to the situation Callie and Stella got themselves into. But then again it’s called a short film for a reason, and I admire how hard they all worked when filming in the heat.
Overall I would give the film a 4.95. It was funny, suspenseful, and it would’ve been interesting to see the aftermath of the ending and what followed on from that. Keep up to date with their Instagram handle to find out which festivals it’s going to next and where you can catch it! Please also see a link to a vlog and blog of when I took part in the Actors Workshop Open House Event where I watched this film.
Instagram: @puravidashrtfilm
Link to Vlog: https://youtu.be/D_DWt2km1wg
The Correction Unit:
The final film I’m going to talk about is The Correction Unit, starring Sonny Middleton, Elleese Bradshaw, Zak Hopkinson, the voice of Bella Ramsey, casted by Cameron Foster and directed by Derry Shillitto.
As explained on IMDb, the plot of the film goes as follows:
"A group of violent and misguided young offenders are experimented on using brutal AI technology at a sinister institute."
Sonny Middleton took on the role of Shawn O'Connor. He is the sort of person who has a good heart, but felt as though he had no choice when it came to making certain decisions. This was then resulted in him getting into trouble with gang leaders Jason and Reggie (Sean Radford and Rudi Mulvany), which had an impact on his brother Tet (Deon Williams), and his mum Jill (Karen Best), who also had concerns of her own. But during his time at nTrac, we could all see that he is a bright boy who wants to make a life for himself. Alongside him with friend Leticia Murphy, or Tish for short (Elleese Bradshaw). I loved the care she has for Shawn and how she’s always by his side, knowing what he’s been through. That was down to her own past, as in a flashback via VR set, we saw her being forced to do the unthinkable, and I just can’t imagine what she had to go through to do that, making her friendship with Shawn that much deeper. And I must say she is a brilliant dancer after she mentioned about her dream of becoming an actor. Whilst there, Shawn and Tish also met Jacob (Zak Hopkinson), who yes may come across as arrogant, but knew when to calm himself down. We all need a friend like Jacob, and I’m glad he found his feet with Shawn and Tish, particularly when they realise that nTrac is not all is cracked up to be. Bella Ramsey provided the voice of nTrac, and I must say she absolutely nailed it! After watching her in Time, and following her journey from the Television Workshop to now, she has definitely come a long way! And being the voice of a topic which has got everyone talking was no mean feat, but she took on the role with perfection.
There were also many characters who impacted Shawn, Tish and Jacob to find their way to stop the programme from happening. These included Maya Henderson (Anique Taylor), who had a sassy attitude about her, particularly at the beginning when wondering why the students have to wear a wrist band. There was also Sonny Hawkwod (Sonny Lake), who also had a bad attitude, but that was due to the trauma from his mum which we see in a flashback through a VR headset. He sadly met a dreadful fate by the hands of staff member Donovan (Julio E Lewis), who at first was following orders thinking it would be a beneficial impact. But after the incident he caused Sonny, it’s clear that he is remorseful of his actions, but found forgiveness by helping Shawn, Tish, Jacob and the rest of the students escape. There was also head of the school Yvonne Bakewell (Kirsty Smedley), who told the story of her brother Caleb and why being part of the project meant so much to her. But she does have a compassionate side, particularly when coming to Shawn's rescue. Throughout the start of the film, she was adamant that it would work, despite some reservations from Well-being teacher Michelle Reeves (Esmee Matthews), who was new to the joint. But when she realised the severity of the programme after Sonny's fate, and following a flashback from the past via a VR set, she knew that it was doing more harm than good, and encouraged the kids to stop the programme once and for all. But two people stopping them was leader of the programme and businessman James Lee (Ziad Abaza), and his boss John Smyth (Jonny Phillips), who were adamant that what they were doing will help the children live a life crime free. What I liked about them was that they weren’t over the top villains, but their ignorance to the negative impact is what drew me in, even when James gave his big speech about AI at the end of the film. And it’s moments like this where less really is more.
During the film, some of my many talented friends from The Actors Workshop Nottingham had roles in the film to help bring it together. Yes they weren’t speaking roles, but sometimes those roles are just as important, as just like in theatre shows like Les Miserable, without the ensemble, the shows wouldn’t exist, and it’s the same with a film like this. Several members played staff of nTrac. These included Charles Andrews, Alex Ross (who was also a bus driver) and Rose Frost, Bruno Bingley and Laurence James Davies as guardians, whilst Jonathan Cleaver and Darren Paul Taylor played people from the kids past (Jonathan for Tish, who was the victim of something Tish felt forced to do, and Darren for Jacob, where he played a violent brother and boy did he do it really well). Alison Martin Jones played the role of Sonny's mum from his past, and Clare McGill took on the role of the Chief Inspector, who drove the story of Yvonne’s fate at the end of the film. We also saw members of the audience at the end of the film, some of them being like Willis and Emma Rayner. There is even an appearance from Derry himself as a citizen. For anyone who knows Derry well do let me if you’ve spot him in the film.
I don’t think I have any downsides to the film so to say, but it’s more about my knowledge of AI as a whole. Yes this film is fictional, but it does resemble the real life worries people have when it comes to this topic. But going forward, I hope people will see that it does have some positives if used correctly, particularly in the acting industry. After also reading about the affects of knife crime (which was a major part in Shawn's character), it's good that using the topic and include it with a technology that's already evolving in our society i think is really clever.
Overall I would give the film a 4.95. It had action, suspension and it was a thriller to watch. And whilst my knowledge of AI is still not great, at least this film will hopefully make you see that it won’t be like that in the future. Keep an eye out for more updates on this film by clicking on the following social media handles below which are Foyle River films (the company who made the film) and the official page for the film itself:
Instagram: @foyleriverfilms
X/Twitter: @FoyleRiverFilms
TikTok: @thecorrectinunit
That comes to the end of films I saw in 2025. Click the link below to see the official website of The Actors Workshop Nottingham, and if you're an East Midlands Actor wanting to explore your craft, then this is the place for you! Also let me know if you've seen/been following any of these films too and what you're thoughts of them are.
Also keep your eyes peeled of films I will watch in 2026.
See you soon for another blog. Until next time...
This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)
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