‘Meat Raffle’ is a blast of pure northern glory that juggles laughs, secrets and tender emotion without dropping a single ball. Written and directed by Stuart Armstrong, this British LGBTQ+ comedy fizzes with more nerve and charm than plenty of features, unearthing the messy secrets and dark laughs buried in family ties.
The film plants us in a Carlisle pub. Rich, played by Michael Hodgson, is a working class man who never stops talking. He’s buzzing with pride because his son Jackson (Will Latimer) is up from Manchester. Rich chatters away, barely giving Jackson room to speak.
But it all shifts when Jackson shows off a new haircut. Suddenly, Rich’s easy banter twists into barbed jokes and nervous glances. There’s a prickling suspicion running through him, a fear that his son might be about to come out. Rich’s own deep secrets begins to hover, and the story takes a sharp left turn when Rich starts giving the local butcher far too much of his attention. In one of the film’s biggest surprises, he disappears into the men’s room to meet Alan, his secret gay lover played by Dominic Weatherill.
Ben Cotgrove’s intimate cinematography nails the look of the film. Despite being shot digitally, it carries the warm, grainy vibe of early 2000s British cinema. The lighting captures both the intimacy of a small pub and the cold chill of a northern winter. Ian Robertson’s flawless editing keeps everything flowing with a rhythm that gives every quirky moment and emotional turn the space to land just right.
As the charity meal raffle finally unfolds, Jackson falls ill, and Rich’s world begins to splinter. His private desires clash with the reality of being a father and accepting himself. It’s a striking moment that slices through the comedy and shows the film’s true heart.
‘Meat Raffle’ is funny, biting and painfully human. It’s about hidden lives and the things we’re too scared to say. Hodgson is exceptional, his Rich is both tragic and impossible to look away from, while Latimer brings an authentic presence that grounds the chaos.
By the closing scene, the poignancy will have left a lump in your throat. Armstrong has created something deeply personal. This is a short packed with humour, heartbreak and the awkward truths that lurk under the surface of life. Unmissable. Outstanding!
