Bait (2019 film)

Brothers Steven and Martin Ward live in a Cornish fishing village whose economy has become increasingly reliant on tourism. Steven has inherited their late father’s fishing boat and uses it to take tourists on boat trips, a point of contention with Martin, who struggles to maintain a traditional way of life fishing and selling his catch door-to-door without a boat. Martin resents the tourist presence in the town and their impositions on the local way of life, including complaining about the noise the fishermen make in the morning and causing the local pub to close during the winter off-season. Steven's son Neil prefers to fish with his uncle rather than accompany his father on boat tours.

The brothers have sold their childhood home to Tim and Sandra Leigh, a well-to-do couple from out of town who rent the home to vacationers. Martin has a contentious relationship with the Leighs, offended by the renovations they have made to the home, including removing their mother's pantry and installing twee nautical-themed decor that Martin sees as a mockery of the village’s traditional fishing ways. Tensions come to a head when Martin’s truck is booted when he parks in front of the family home. He tries to remove the boot with help from Wenna, a free-spirited barmaid at the pub, but when Tim confronts them, Wenna physically assaults him and spends the night in jail.

On advice from a mysterious, ghostly fisherman who appears periodically throughout the film, Martin tries fishing for lobster in a local gully. He succeeds, but his catch is stolen by the Leighs' son Hugo, who brings the lobster home for his family to eat. Later that night, Martin confronts Hugo at the pub and makes him mend the cut lobster trap in front of all the other patrons. A guilty Sandra comes to Martin’s home and discovers the tin in which he keeps his savings to buy his boat. She slips money into his savings tin.

Neil begins a relationship with the Leighs' daughter Katie, which Hugo discovers when they confront him for stealing Martin's lobster traps. When Hugo insults his sister for her relationship with Neil, Neil attacks him, leading to a physical confrontation that ends in Neil accidentally falling to his death on the docks below. Following the tragedy and after seeing what the Leighs have done to the family home, Steven returns to fishing with Martin and Wenna as his crew. As they set out to sea, Martin sees Neil’s spirit looking on.

• Edward Rowe as Martin Ward
• Mary Woodvine as Sandra Leigh
• Simon Shepherd as Tim Leigh
• Georgia Ellery as Katie Leigh
• Giles King as Steven Ward
• Chloe Endean as Wenna Kowalski
• Isaac Woodvine as Neil Ward

Jenkin filmed Bait using a vintage hand-cranked Bolex camera, using 16mm monochrome film that he hand processed.^[2] Shooting locations include Charlestown and West Penwith, in Cornwall.^[3]