Missing Buses

A detective of the supernatural tries to juggle a new relationship while obsessing over a case that involves disappearing buses.

A fun one this time.

When is the last time you felt wonder? You know, when a magical world sucks you into its beauty and weirdness? Well, I miss it.

But Agent Liam Harker, of the Bureau of Paranormal Activities… He isn’t just interested in the weird, he loves the weird. A high energy and often overwhelming presence, the character on the page felt almost too strange to cast properly. I was lucky enough to audition Rory for the part and he was so right for it I often had to stop myself from laughing during the audition.

Rory toed the line that Liam lives on, being passionate enough to be endearing, but not completely overwhelming or annoying. Instead, his boyish charisma is infectious, perfectly capturing our weird Agent Harker, and giving us plenty of reasons as to why the people in his life put up with him.

When is the last time you’ve seen a film centered on a relationship, and they actually communicate and fix their situation, moving forward together?

Why are there so few of those on screen? There is a real power in stories that show this kind of thing. We all take lessons on our own behaviours from the media we consume, so I really wanted to show a relationship that evolves, that breathes, that is complicated, but not toxic.

But to do that, you need two actors that work together.

I’d seen Adele in a version of The Importance of Being Earnest, where she was radiating charisma and power, but always letting a silly side come through. When I was writing Missing Buses, I had her in mind, all the while thinking that she was likely too good for me. So imagine my surprise!

And she was incredible. She and Rory played off each other effortlessly, she was excellent at responding and grounding his strange energy. When I strayed too far, she was always good at reminding me of the warmth that needed to exist between them.

Together, they elevated the script, bringing a real truth to the highs and lows of their relationship, the core of the film.