Céline Roustan

There is something incredibly cinematic about laundromats. Maybe it’s the symmetrical look it gives the frame, but in terms of public spaces depicted on screen, the place where we wash our dirty laundry has always carried a special emotional load – apologies for the pun, but I’m sure I’m not the only one feeling that way. In (spin), writer/director and lead actor Precious Wura Alabi uses that setting to capture a first date, as over the course of one wash cycle, Zekiel and Izzy will have to figure out if they’ll want to see each other again.

We’ve all seen our fair share of romcoms, so going into (spin) might make some of you skeptical at first. Thankfully, Wura Alabi subverts expectations and cleverly builds a narrative from a fun and promising premise. Having the story of this first date dictated by a wash cycle grants the film an enjoyable pacing, while also playing with the metaphor of dirty laundry. The title cards also intelligently help with discerning the different stages of getting to know someone. 

While the structural canvas of the film is controlled by those different beats, Wura Alabi and DP Karl Poyzer (returning to the laundrette once again after shooting fellow S/W pick Wash Club) also capture the evolving relationship between the protagonists through the framing. Using the backdrop of the washing machines, as the night evolves and the pair slowly get closer, the frame tightens around them, cleverly echoing their attraction and vulnerability.

Samuel Adewunmi as Zekiel – is he brave or stupid to plan a first date at a laundrette?

Charming without ever being saccharine or cheesy, despite the specificities of the set-up, (spin) is incredibly universal. However, for the film to be emotionally successful, given its format as a one location story that mostly relies on an encounter between two characters, both the dialogue and the performances have to do a lot of the heavy-lifting. Wura Alabi as Izzy and Samuel Adewunmi as Zekiel have an instant on-screen chemistry that makes you immediately root for both of them and want their relationship to succeed. It’s not that simple though, the screenplay has twists and turns, which makes their conversation a delight to watch, the strong dash of humor added throughout bringing comedy to the potential romance.

The kind of film that reminds you just how good the often misunderstood romcom can be, (spin) brings a fresh and modern take to the genre by pushing its boundaries and playing with its tropes. Much like recent success story Rye Lane, Wura Alabi’s short shows that with a little inventiveness and a lot of heart you can make audiences fall in love with romantic comedies once again.