Serving up a second course of Boiling Point
Inside the serialised sequel to the Stephen Graham-fronted restaurant stress-fest
SPARE A THOUGHT for any diners at London’s Jones & Sons restaurant who haven’t seen Boiling Point. “People keep going in and taking pictures of themselves lying in the spot where [Andy, played by Stephen Graham] collapses at the end,” says Philip Barantini, director of the tense one-take kitchen drama, which was shot in the restaurant in March 2020. The filmmaker concedes that that must be a pretty perplexing sight for anyone not acquainted with the film. Then again, there’s much that’s perplexing right now regarding Boiling Point — not least the news that it’s been commissioned as a TV series, featuring the character many presumed died at the film’s end.
“Well, we wrote it as a heart attack. In our minds, he lived,” grins Barantini. “It was definitely left open to interpretation. So when the BBC approached us about doing a TV show and we spoke to Stephen, it felt like the right thing to do.” The This Is England actor is a supporting character this time rather than the show’s lead. “Stephen’s incredibly busy so wasn’t able to do the full series,” Barantini reveals. Instead, the show — which is currently in production — picks up six months after the film, and focuses on Carly, Andy’s sous chef from the movie, played by The Lazarus Project’s Vinette Robinson. However, each episode also “goes on a journey with a different character from the kitchen, diving into their little pocket of life”, exploring what they get up to without their aprons, too.
There is another major departure in store. “We made the decision early on that we wouldn’t film it in one take,” says Barantini. “It wasn’t sustainable for the story we wanted to tell. And for the viewer, five hour-long episodes of that is just too intense.” Elsewhere, however, Boiling Point the series promises to continue faithfully from the film. “It’s still very stressful. It’s still shot in a socially realistic way. And the customers and pressures can still be a nightmare,” Barantini confirms. “When you work in hospitality you really are a sitting duck, never knowing who is going to walk through the door. So the possibilities are endless in terms of stories to explore.” In other words, it’s a familiar-but-different dish Barantini is cooking up — with tension emphatically still on the menu.