Kaleidoscope follows the story of Carl, a middle-aged man who lives alone in a small apartment in London. He has a complicated and toxic relationship with his mother, Aileen, who lives in the same city. Aileen was abusive towards Carl when he was a child and he still carries emotional scars from their past.
The film takes place over the course of a few days where Carl's life spirals out of control. He brings home a woman named Abby, who he met online, for a date, but the night takes a dark turn when Aileen unexpectedly shows up.
As the tension escalates between mother and son, buried secrets rise to the surface and the psychological manipulation becomes more intense. As the power dynamic shifts between them, it becomes clear that this relationship is destructive for both of them.
The film is a slow burn that builds to a violent finale, exploring the darkness that can come from a toxic relationship, both between mother and child and between lovers. The film explores themes of trauma, power dynamics, and the toll that emotional manipulation can have on a person's mental health. The performances by Toby Jones as Carl and Anne Reid as Aileen are outstanding, creating a deeply unsettling and disturbing portrayal of a mother-son relationship gone wrong.
