The Party's Just Beginning is a dark comedy-drama film written, directed and starring Karen Gillan. The movie is set in Inverness in the Scottish Highlands, and follows the story of a young woman named Luisaidh (Karen Gillan), who is struggling to cope with the grief and trauma of her best friend's suicide. She is lost, lonely and adrift in life, and spends her days and nights drinking, binge-eating junk food and having meaningless sex with strangers.
Luisaidh's life is consumed by her friend's death, but she refuses to talk to anyone about her feelings or seek help. Instead, she distracts herself with her dead-end job as a supermarket cashier, partying with her promiscuous best friend Alistair (Matthew Beard), and chatting online with strangers about suicide and depression.
As the film progresses, Luisaidh finds herself drawn to a mysterious and enigmatic stranger named Dale (Lee Pace), who seems to understand her pain and offers her a glimpse of hope and possibility. Meanwhile, Luisaidh's past and present collide as she is forced to confront the painful truth about her friend's death and her own obsession with death and despair.
The Party's Just Beginning is a poignant and darkly humorous tale of grief, mental illness, and the search for meaning and connection in a world that often feels cold and meaningless. Karen Gillan's stunning directorial debut is a powerful showcase of her talent as a writer, director and actress, and an important film that tackles important themes and issues affecting young people today.