User Reviews

Intriguing documentary about the titular South Wales town, which is haunted by being the location where dozens of people have been found hanged since 2007. Interviews include family members and friends, but the most interesting input is given by the coroner and two tattoo artists who own a studio where loved ones come to get inked tributes. There are moments that feel like bad taste; particularly, a hangman game title card, as well as director Williams putting himself in the spotlight towards the end a little too frequently—more importantly, the director's claim that there were already 50+ dead before the documentary crew arrived doesn't change the fact that this film could still play a part in the media's sensationalizing.

**½ (out of four)

At the time of this writing, the review scores for this movie are suspiciously high, and i've noticed two obviously bogus reviews praising the film's "costumes" and "animation/visual effects." This is a documentary. I guess you didn't really get your money's worth on those paid reviews, did you fellas?

This flick is about an upsetting rash of youth suicides by hanging in a small Welsh town. Bereaved family members are interviewed in literally gory detail, and some vague attempts at making sense of it all are tried, although it's clear from the start that Brigend's suicides occur because of sensational, over-reporting - any reader of Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point will be familiar with the phenomenon of suicide epidemics.

Although the filmmaker's interview questions are largely edited out, responses from family members reveal that they were roundly asked to describe how their deceased children looked on the morgue slab, a tasteless touch which makes Brigend come off as lurid and voyeuristic. The filmmaker shows his likely nip/tucked SoCal face near the end of the film. Both his presence and his mock outrage at the uncooperative police force are jarring, unnecessary, and tough to take seriously.

You're not getting much with Brigend. Just a sad set of interviews with a sad set of people in a sad little town, with ultimately no lessons learned and no hope for the future. It might make good viewing while you're wrapping a noose around your OWN neck, but it's otherwise missable.

Most people had never heard of Bridgend until suicides of local youths began to spike alarmingly in 2007.

The once-prosperous market town in the scenic Vale of Glamorgan had certainly become a rough-house, with no jobs, no entertainment, and teenage girls trying to avert their eyes from the loitering gangs. It was actually the suicide of a teenage girl that awakened national media interest, largely because it was so unexplained. In that graveyard of hope, you're not going to be too surprised by a few deaths among disaffected young warrior-class males. But a girl as good-looking as this would normally rank pretty high on the heap. And so the story started to run... and run... until the press was officially asked to back-off.

For this reason, the results are hard to quantify. The crematory manager reports that the suicide-rate remained the same after the press blackout, though he did not specify age-groups. But how did it all start? There is no shortage of theories, mostly delivered by the bereaved. "Drink, drugs and boredom" (starting alarmingly young) was one predictable diagnosis. "It's a gang thing" was another obvious one, with all those commemorative tattoos. Perhaps there was one diabolical orator behind it all, who could inspire suicide as a means to gain immortality. (One headline actually read 'Suicide Is Cool'). Some of the teens talk about it in quite a fatalistic way, one of them even noting the selfishness of the act, leaving so much misery behind for people who had only offered kindness and support.

The one they don't mention is the one I would have raised: single-mum culture. Much of the later half of the film is taken up with a long, emotive lament by one of the mothers, leaving no sign that there had ever been a father around, though in two other cases, a grieving dad is actually there to confide his bafflement at the tragedy.

So the chicken-&-egg mystery remains, with certain locations mythologised as the Black Path and the Snake Pit. Even a local church minister said he could pick up the dark feeling, the chilling atmosphere. And not long after this film was made, there were reports of another spike...

I watched this movie on Netflix and was really intrigued by its story. When the camera records that little town you can really feel that there is something evil in the air. The movie gave me chills. It is about a number of suicides that are taking place, since 2007, in the small town of Bridgend, South Wales. Also additional filming of families and friends of the deceased ones are captured. They are all trying to find out some conclusion of why it is happening.

The movie reminds me of one small place in the northern part of my country (Serbia) that is also infamous by the number of suicides. Contrary to beliefs, people there who decide to take their own lives are not coming from poor families, so material situation is not an issue. The same is with the town of Bridgend. Victims decide to end their lives by hanging, like it is some sort of a trend. All of them are in some way connected and were very young.

Director interviewed relatives and friends of the suicide victims to give us a deeper insight into this topic and offers some theories what is going on. Is it a strange suicide cult? A climate? Economic or environmental factors? In my opinion it is all of the mentioned. It's a complexity of various factors that make an impact on these unfortunate young people, who decide to commit suicides.

Director made a very spooky atmosphere in the movie, and what is most important made a tremendous research to shed a light on this mystery. All the info gathered is explained in a plain way. All interviews get us closer in understanding the victims and more sympathizing with their families and friends, who lost their loved ones.

I recommend this movie and give it a 9/10 grade !!

Jeppe Rønde is a beautiful man who has a passion to bring a story to life. He visited Bridgend County and the surrounding area numerous times over a five-year period before this film was shot. I was lucky enough to have spoken to him a few times during his research. This film is interesting and the cinematics are astounding. However, Jeppe as a young director still early in his career doesn't realize that he could have done more with less. Some people have called this flick disrespectful. But it is more the case of an artist trying to express himself. Yes, there is a lot going on in this film, and at many times it is very expressionist. The narrative is sometimes confusing and this is one in which one cannot simply put the DVD in and then switch-off one's brain as is usually the case with a lot of the drivel made today. The acting from a young Scott Arthur, Elinor Crawley and Josh O'Connor are commendable. Jobbing actor Steven Waddington also summonsed a strong presence, however, I would liked to have seen him apply himself more. Anyway, I would say to the critics, watch this movie from start to finish and then judge it, as the subtext is still very interesting.

This film is so chilling, it touches a cord with today's youth. I didn't know what to expect when I saw this. I was amazed at this mind blowing story! The town I grew up in was a small inner city down and there were far less deaths by gang violence. With all the suicides that are happening in the world today, people need to take notice of what's happening around them and do something about it. Seeing what happened to Robin Williams and there were no drugs found in his system. People are crying inside and most of the time we don't even know it. I think this Documentary should be in all the schools and churches in the areas. I think people should watch this and share it with people to help spread the word

I was upset because being a Bridgend boy I lived there for 30 years and it is a beautiful place now I'm not in Wales now it is a dark place but I still love Bridgend don't put Bridgend down if only the government help us we never have so much death please give Bridgend a respect watch this film as it is sad I knew 1 of the teenager and grieve when I was told the Welsh flag blow my heart belong there is good thing comes out of Bridgend as well bullet for my valentine and famous people comes from there Ruth Jones from Gavin and Stacy the dragon live on there some beautiful places to go there to if you like walking bryngawr park I recommend I love Bridgend