Two actors, one room, a lifetime of questions
Martin Freeman and Jack Lowden reunite for The Fifth Step, a film adaptation of a West End success that began as a sharp, funny, and piercing dialogue about recovery. In the story, a recovering alcoholic and his sponsor sit in an open space, their voices bouncing between dark humor and stark truth. The result is less a lecture on addiction than a two-hander that invites audiences to listen as two men wrestle with identity, vulnerability, and the messy terrain of modern masculinity.
From stage to screen
Director Finn den Hertog steers the project with a camera-friendly approach. Lowden notes that the piece, though intimate, translates to cinema with surprising ease: “It’s actually very TV and camera friendly. It’s just two actors in an open space and there’s no complicated staging.” Freeman adds that the technical side is almost invisible, with microphones discreetly catching every tremor of emotion. This simplicity allows the script’s nerve to land with particular force on the big screen.
What the play is really about
The Fifth Step centers on Luka, a newcomer to Alcoholics Anonymous, played by Lowden, and his older sponsor, portrayed by Freeman. The line “I think I might be an incel,” delivered early in the piece, has been described as explosive, but the actors insist the show is not a monologue about fringe subcultures. Freeman emphasizes that the “incel line doesn’t sum the play up at all,” while Lowden argues that reducing the show to one label risks erasing the broader conversation about shame, honesty, and the need to be understood.
The lens on masculinity and fatherhood
Both actors speak openly about the evolving conversation around masculinity. Freeman, who shares teenage children with ex-wife Amanda Abbington, and Lowden, who recently welcomed his first child with Saoirse Ronan, bring personal insight to the on-stage dynamic. Freeman reflects on the daily flood of messages young people receive, noting that while hope and positivity exist, the world also presents a “minefield” of toxic narratives. Lowden adds a wider lens: the play is not merely about a male experience but a generational exploration of shame, where the relationship between an older and a younger man becomes a vehicle for broader social commentary.
From stage craft to critical reception
The Fifth Step was celebrated during its West End run for its precision and nerve. Critics praised Lowden’s turn as a young man grappling with the pull of self-destruction, with The Times highlighting his “staggeringly good” performance, and The I’s Isobel Lewis noting that Luka’s rough exterior sits alongside a deep capacity for empathy. A four-star verdict from the Financial Times lauded the play for weaving serious questions with sharp humor, blending the absurd with the profound.
Why audiences are responding
Freeman frames the show as a work that is both shocking and funny in equal measure, noting that audiences often leave with a collective sense of release—“a sigh, as if someone had just had a really good meal.” The Fifth Step’s success lies in that delicate balance: the conversations are blunt, even brutal at times, but they carry a human warmth that invites viewers to reflect rather than retreat. As the film rolls out to cinemas, Freeman and Lowden hope that the audience experiences the same shared relief and curiosity that characterized the live performances.
Looking ahead
With its star-studded collaboration and a script that refuses easy categorization, The Fifth Step contends with contemporary themes while remaining intensely intimate. Freeman and Lowden’s performances anchor a story about accountability, connection, and the stubborn persistence of hope in the face of addiction and doubt. For viewers stepping into the cinema, the film promises more than a portrayal of recovery; it offers a chance to rethink how we talk about masculinity, resilience, and what it means to be understood.
