My Fault: London 2025 Movie Review
My Fault: London is an English-language adaptation of the 2023 Spanish film My Fault, which was based on the novel Culpa mía by Mercedes Ron. By an adaptation, the filmmakers mean a remake of the original Spanish film. Most of the character’s names remain the same, the film has the same premise, and much of the original film is relocated to London. The car chase that comes at the climax of the film is still here but set in the streets of England’s capital city. A semi Fast & Furious, if you will. Despite the changes, however, the film is one that is destined to be embraced by the streaming audience. The charm is all there, as are the favourite characters. If you haven’t seen the original Spanish version, minor spoilers are ahead.
Noah is a teenage girl who moves with her mother, Ella, from Florida to London to live with her new stepfather William. Upon arrival, Noah meets her stepbrother Nick, and there is an immediate attraction between them. Noah spends the summer adjusting to her new life, making new friends from Nick’s various circles. And navigating a complicated relationship with him while they fight to keep the attraction. But unbeknownst to Noah, her father has been released from prison and starts tracking her every move. Noah will ultimately be forced to deal with her devastating past while falling in love for the first time.
Let’s get this out of the way from the off. Asha Banks and Matthew Broome make for a sizzling on-screen couple throughout. As Noah and Nick, respectively, they steam up the screen almost from their first meeting. Almost all of what the original version threw at the characters, they experience here. Both young actors deliver the goods from the first time they appear on-screen. Both are extremely likeable, keeping us invested in their relationship and the difficulties they face. At times, we find ourselves disliking Nick, but he soon turns our feelings around once again. Matthew Broome does a tremendous job as the character. Getting himself into trouble, acting nastily towards his new step-sister. But we are drawn to him, finding ourselves fearing for him later in the film, despite already knowing the outcome.
Asha Banks makes us fall head over heels in love with her from the first seconds we see her on screen. As Noah, she, like Matthew Broome, has the main weight of the film and story on her shoulders. But she takes the load with ease. Headstrong, emotional, and angry, but naive at the same time, Noah comes across as a teenager stepping firmly into an adult world for the first time. The backstory of her character has us fearing for her later in the proceedings. But deep down, we know she will still stand tall by the climax. Again, like Matthew Broome, Asha Banks fully fleshes out her character, making her become someone we love and want to see more of in the future.
The adaption of Mercedes Ron’s novel by Melissa Osborne is a winner from the start. For those who are new to the franchise, although the film covers mostly all the same events as the Spanish original, the script feels fresh and new. Moving the material to London from Spain actually works wonders for the film, making it stand out from other adaptations that appear from time to time. Although the end of the film deviates from the original somewhat, we still find ourselves gripped by what is happening and Noah and Nick’s budding relationship. Perhaps (hopefully), there will be an adaptation of the second film, Your Fault (Culpa tuya), in the offing. If so, I hope they retain Melissa Osborne to write the adapted screenplay after her stellar work here.
The direction by Dani Girdwood and Charlotte Fassler only amplifies the material, making the film that much more enjoyable. Ok, so the film is really for a teen audience or those in their early twenties. But for the rest of us, we find ourselves engrossed in the film and its subject matter. Without solid direction, we could so easily pass the film off as another teen-aimed story. But thanks to the direction Dani Girdwood and Charlotte Fassler give the film, even older viewers have a lot to enjoy. The colours of the film are wonderous, the darkness amplified to become almost a character in itself. The glorious colours that we see astound us. Even the action sequences, such as the street race and the denouement, are handled deftly. The pair make a streaming film look like a big Hollywood blockbuster.
Sexy, moving and with lots of drama and some high-octane action thrown in, My Fault: London is a charming movie for Valentine’s Day. It’s a mix of smouldering love between the two main characters. Paired with the chemistry of Asha Banks and Matthew Broome, the film is a winner. It doesn’t take a genius to work out how it will all end, but the fun is seeing how it gets there along the way. With brilliant support from Ray Fearon, Jason Flemyng, Eve Macklin, Enva Lewis, Kerim Hassan, Sam Buchanan, Amelia Kenworthy, and Harry Gilby, the film never bores us nor turns us off. It keeps us switched on throughout, hoping that Noah and Nick get their happy ending.
By the time the final third kicks in, the film does take a turn we don’t expect. Romance and hot sparks turn into violence and death. But even these events, which we can guess will be resolved to our satisfaction, keep us on the edge of our seats. This is superior storytelling at its finest. The film deserves a cinema outing (I saw it at its global premiere on a big screen). It is good enough to be a theatrical feature, one that would have the box office tills bulging with cash. My Fault: London is hopefully the start of English-language adaptations of the final two films. It deserves to become a trilogy. Buy the love of your life a bunch of flowers. Get her some chocolates. Buy a bottle of wine to go with dinner, then settle back to cuddle together with the film. You won’t regret it.
