Film Review – Fisherman’s Friends: One and All (2022)

In the last few years, the renaissance of sea shanties has been something of a phenomenon. They have been around for hundreds of years, of course, but thanks to the success of the titular band at the heart of this film plus the TikTok sensation Nathan Jones and his rendition of “Wellerman” that took hold of the world during Covid lockdowns, they are back with a vengeance so it seems like the right time to head down south again.

Off we go, then, down to Port Isaac, the small fishing town on Cornwall’s North Atlantic coast for a catch-up with our favourite shanty band, the Fisherman’s Friends. The previous instalment had introduced us to the band and their lives down by the sea before heading into the whirlwind of the music world and the fame that came with it, something supremely foreign for our literal fish-out-of-water group. Still, success came, and a hit album followed but their equilibrium had been shaken and for some of them, a little too much. Lead singer Jim (a brilliant James Purefoy) is still struggling with the loss of his beloved father (David Heyman) and his ghost is following him wherever he goes, leading to the band temporarily splitting, but a long-historical connection with Glastonbury and a budding romance with former musician Aubrey (Imelda May) begin to bring him back to life.

British comedy sequels of such ilk are a tricky business – as are all sequels – with many falling by the wayside or failing to capture any of the magic ingredients of their predecessor but such is the way of life on our fair parts, as is our humour. It’s an incredibly difficult assignment but Nick Moorcroft and Meg Leonard, the writer/director pair entrusted with the follow-up, have found a way to keep all the elements in place and, arguably, make a better film than the original that feels richer and more profound.

Yes, we get all the gruff, pithy wit of the Port Isaac troupe but dealing with subjects like grief, relevance, death, and redemption, it manages to pull at the heartstrings and tickle the funny bone in equal measure. It doesn’t quite keep “true” for the duration and feels a little too long and on the nose at times, but when it’s good, it’s a supremely fun time, especially when Purefoy, Johns, May (her feature debut) and the ever magnificent Maggie Steed are in full-flow.

There’s nothing here that breaks any new ground, nor does anything necessarily spectacular but there is a warmth and welcoming nature to the film that is impossible to resist and in current climates, is the burst of humanity and community we could all do with right now. Just don’t put the clotted cream on your scones before the jam, or you’ll be walking the plank.

★★★

Drama, Comedy | Entertainment Films | 2022 | Dir: Meg Leonard, Nick Moorcroft | James Purefoy, Dave Johns, Imelda May, Maggie Steed, Sam Swainsbury, Jade Anouka, Richard Harrington, Joshua McGuire, David Hayman

Watch our video interview with Directors Meg Leonard and Nick Moorcroft.