‘The State of Us’: Samuel Bottomley Breaks Callum Scott Howells Out of Hospice for One Final Hurrah in Edinburgh-Bound Indie (Exclusive Clip)
The Hollywood Reporter has shared an exclusive clip from "The State of Us", a British indie drama premiering in competition at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on Friday. The film, marking the feature debuts of directors Ollie Gardner and Jake Harvey, stars Samuel Bottomley as Frankie, who breaks his terminally ill best friend Taylor (Callum Scott Howells) out of hospice care for one last night of fun that becomes more emotionally complex than planned. The story is loosely inspired by Harvey's own childhood friendship group, particularly a friend named Jake Andrews who died of cancer aged 18.
The clip shows Frankie coaxing Taylor into drinking and dancing at a house party, giving him a brief sense of relief as the pair reconnect. The film also stars Frances Barber, Safia Oakley-Green, Seamus O'Hara and Duggal Ram, and its creators say they aimed for a balance of dark humour and accessibility rather than a purely arthouse tone, while exploring themes of male friendship and masculinity. It screens as part of the 2026 Edinburgh International Film Festival, running from 14-21 August, which festival director Paul Ridd has called the event's strongest competition lineup since its 2023 relaunch.
- "The State of Us" premieres at Edinburgh Film Festival on Friday.
- Bottomley and Howells star in story of friendship and terminal illness.
- Directors' feature debut is loosely based on a real childhood friend's death.
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The State of Us follows Frankie, played by Samuel Bottomley, who takes his terminally ill best friend Taylor, played by Callum Scott Howells, out of hospice care for a final night together, with a reunion that turns out to be more complicated than either intended. It is the feature debut of directors Ollie Gardner and Jake Harvey, and draws on Harvey's own experience of losing a childhood friend to cancer.
The film is a British independent production exploring male friendship and masculinity, blending dark humour with a more accessible tone rather than typical arthouse style. Its cast also includes Frances Barber, Safia Oakley-Green, Seamus O'Hara and Duggal Ram.
It is set to premiere in competition at the Edinburgh International Film Festival, which runs from 14 to 21 August 2026. Festival director Paul Ridd has described this year's competition lineup as the strongest since the event relaunched in 2023.