"Vote Gavin Lyle"

13 May 2026

16 mins 48s

Lyle, lyle, pants on fire.

Written and directed by Aneil Karia, 'Vote Gavin Lyle' stars Jack Lowden as the titular parliamentary candidate for Fletcham and Wold, a made-up constituency that the likes of Reform UK and Restore Britain would still claim to represent if asked. Lyle claims Fletcham and Wold "lost its sense of identity, its confidence, and its pride" because of—you guessed it—immigration, and he's ready to make the ward a better place.

Like so many candidates who crawl out of the woodwork, Lyle's story has more holes in it than a golf course. He's a man of the people who lives in a fancy house and drives a Range Rover; runs care homes that dilute hand soap to save money; and lies about the time Uncle Ron and Aunt Elaine stayed at a hotel that now houses asylum seekers ("Who the fuck is Uncle Ron?" asks Lyle's exasperated wife). Lowden's a handsome devil, but the Scot plays an ugly so-and-so very well.

Then there's Deba Hekmat. The breakout star of 'Last Swim' plays a shop worker who fuels one of Lyle's sexist, xenophobic rants, only to return later in unforgettable fashion. It's too good a scene/insight into Lyle's psyche to spoil, but rest assured you'll never think of 'Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)' the same way again. The more Gavin Lyles are exposed for who they are, the better.

UK

Short Film