Dramas that satirise the mega wealthy are hot right now. The past couple of years have given us Knives Out and Saltburn on the big screen, with TV shows such as Succession tackling similar subject matter. These works share certain commonalities even though they span both format and genre. They point out how strange billionaires can be, critique society’s obsession with said individuals, and often include references to elements of contemporary culture (commonly social media). This genre is now informally known as “Eat The Rich” cinema. Two Neighbors, on the surface, parallels the aforementioned works, but takes a slightly mythical twist on the core formula behind Eat The Rich movies.
The piece follows Becky (Anya Chalotra: The Witcher, Wanderlust) who is dragged along by her father to a party his boss, billionaire Mr. Peterson, is throwing. There, she clashes with Stacy (Chloe Cherry: Euphoria, The French Italian), Peterson’s daughter who is the opposite to Becky in seemingly every way. Amongst the party guests is a mysterious “Genie” who is there as part of a new charitable initiative Peterson’s company is promoting. The film will be immediately familiar to fans of this school of cinema. There are jokes about how weird the wealthy can be, mixed in with serious moments that analyse power dynamics surrounding class and gender.
One character that epitomises this sense of humour is Stacy’s brother, Sebastian (Jake Simmance: Better Man, Anatomy of a Scandal). He is a not-so-subtle parody of modern day “manosphere” types. The kind of guys who are obsessed with being “real men” but are clearly trying too hard and fall short of adulthood. They read philosophy, work out, and drink whiskey, not out of genuine interest but because they think that is what “masculinity” demands. Gags surrounding him land, but I wonder how films like this will age as time goes by. Are quips about social media and podcasts still going to be funny ten years down the line?
The picture has some pretty intense scenes towards the end, particularly, as Becky begins to spiral out of control. Chalotra more than carries these sequences and creates moments that are downright disturbing. The conclusion is strong, albeit certain plot lines weren’t quite wrapped up as well as they could have been. Those familiar with Aesop’s fables (one of which is quoted at the start) will be able to see where the ending is going, but it is an excellent sequence that feels distinct from the rest of the story. The dialogue becomes a bit theatrical, with characters stating their intentions more clearly than they did in earlier sections of the film, a choice I am still not entirely sure was intentional.
The acting is solid all around, especially from the two leads, but I would like to give a special mention to Ralph Imeson (The Witch, The Green Knight) as the Genie, who brings an unpredictable energy to the role. Overall, Two Neighbors proves itself an excellent satirical fable in its own right.
The 78th Edinburgh International Film Festival ran from the 14th to the 20th August 2025. Two Neighbours screened as part of the Competition Features strand.
Press images provided by EIFF 2025 for press use.
