With middle class angst a key feature of this new psychological thriller, Canonbury in Islington sets the scene perfectly for The Ones Below. Take a look at the trailer here.

The Ones Below is set almost entirely in Islington. The suspense takes place in an Edwardian house on Willow Bridge Road, where the production filmed for nine weeks.

In a gesture of thanks to local residents, the production made a generous donation to Friends of The Rose Bowl who help fund the Rose Bowl youth centre in Canonbury.

In the film, an Islington couple grows terrified of the downstairs neighbours, following a tragic accident.

Thoroughly exploring the anxiety of expecting a baby, the film has both women – upstairs and downstairs – pregnant and handling it quite differently to one another.

Kate (Clemence Poesy) and Justin (Stephen Campbell Moore) are thirty-something, successful and affluent. All appears well on the surface but Kate harbours deep-rooted fears about becoming a mother. Jon (David Morrissey) and Teresa (Laura Birn) are The Ones Below. In contrast to Kate, Teresa is full of joy at the prospect of imminent motherhood. But a dinner with all four together begins to reveal all is not as it seems.

The key Islington locations include the Canal off Baring Street. The couples register their children in the real Islington Town Hall on Upper Street. The characters dine in local institution Fredericks restaurant in Camden Passage and in Canonbury’s The Place café.
And there’s a scene in Camden’s Waterlow Park.

Islington Film Office’s Karen Everett says, “Islington plays a strong part in this film – as a home that feels under threat to a woman already fearful, with a baby on the way. The neighbourhood is almost a character in its own right – it’s a treat to see it on screen.

“Organising to film in the real town hall involved extensive negotiations, but was thoroughly worth it for the authenticity. It’s a delight to see Islington playing such a strong role in a film that is unmistakably about Londoners.”