The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022)

Benedict Cumberbatch, as Louis Wain, stands on a pebble beach, wearing sunglasses and looking off into the distance with a row of colourful houses in the distance. Cumberbatch, dressed in white trousers, navy blazer and blue and white striped t-shirt stands to the left with three women sitting on wooden stools with wooden easels in front of them to the right of the frame.

Benedict Cumberbatch, Stacy Martin, Sharon Rooney and Aimee Lou Wood in The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022) on Walmer Beach, Deal © StudioCanal

Writer: Will Sharpe, Simon Stephenson
Director: Will Sharpe
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Claire Foy, Andrea Riseborough, Aimee Lou Wood, Toby Jones
Production Company: Amazon Studios, Film4, Shoebox Films, StudioCanal, SunnyMarch
Kent Locations Used: Botany Bay, Kingsgate Bay, Deal, Walmer, Kingsdown Leas

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022) is a biopic of the English painter who rose to fame at the end of the 19th century. Known for his unique paintings of anthropomorphised cats, Wain suffered from poor mental health in his later years and was hospitalised when his family could no longer care for him.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, Sherlock) stars as the titular character Louis Wain, with Claire Foy (The Crown (2016 – 2023), A Very British Scandal (2021)) portraying the love of his life, Emily. The film also features Andrea Riseborough (Luxor, The Grudge), Aimee Lou Wood (Sex Education (2021)), Toby Jones (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Christopher Robin) and Sharon Rooney (My Mad Fat Diary, The Tunnel: Vengeance (2017)). The film was written and directed by Will Sharpe (Defending the Guilty, Flowers) alongside writer Simon Stephenson (Eleventh Hour, Paddington 2).

Various scenes were shot on the Kent coast, including at Botany Bay and Kingsgate Bay in Thanet, Kingsdown Leas, Deal seafront and the Coast House B&B in Walmer, Deal.

Botany Bay in Thanet is a popular filming location in Kent. The sandy bay is set against a beautiful white cliff backdrop which is popular with tourists. Previous productions to have made use of this stunning location include Sulphur and White (2020) and Series 2 of Humans (2016).

Kingsgate Bay is a small sandy bay surrounded by chalk cliffs that connects at low tide through Whiteness cliff arch to Botany Bay. The Victorian Kingsgate Castle is perched on top of the sea defences; it has since been turned into private residences. Other productions to have filmed at Kingsgate Bay include True Things (2022), Mr Selfridge (2013-2016), and Bhikari (2017).

Deal is a town on the south coast of Kent with a long naval history as one of the major Cinque Ports. Deal’s seafront has a large green, promenade, small fishing fleet, huts, sailing boats, lifeboat station as well as an extensive pebble beach. Liar Series 1 & 2 (2017 – 2020) and Baptiste (2019) both recently filmed here.

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain was released in UK cinemas on Saturday 1st January 2022.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.


Landscapers (2021)

Olivia Colman, as Susan Edwards, sits in a bed with an iron headboard. She is leaning on two frilly pillows and is wearing a blue shirt and cardigan. Reflected on the wall behind her is an image of a cowboy in a black hat.

Olivia Colman as Susan Edwards in Landscapers © Sky

Director: Will Sharpe
Starring: Olivia Colman, David Thewlis, Kate O’Flynn, Dipo Ola, Samuel Anderson, Felicity Montagu, Daniel Rigby
Production Company: Sister Productions
Kent Locations Used: Laredo Western Town in Dartford

Landscapers (2021) is a true-crime drama inspired by real events, which documents the unique transformation of a mild-mannered English couple into cold-blooded killers.

The four-part mini-series was created and written by Ed Sinclair (Screenshot) and directed by Will Sharpe (Flowers, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022)).  Olivia Colman (The Crown (2016-2023), The Favourite (2019)) stars as Susan Edwards with David Thewlis (Wonder Woman (2017), Fargo) playing her husband, Christopher. Colman and Thewlis are joined by Kate O’Flynn (Bridget Jones’s Baby) as DC Emma Lancing, Dipo Ola (We Hunt Together) as Douglas Hylton, Susan’s solicitor, Samuel Anderson (Another Life) as DC Paul Wilkie, Felicity Montagu (This Time with Alan Partridge Season 2 (2021)) as Patricia Wycherley, Susan’s mother and Daniel Rigby (The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (2022)) as DCI Geoff Collier.

David Thewlis, as Christopher Edwards, stands under a sheltered bus stop. He stands directly in the middle of the frame, looking off to the right. The bus stop is lit with a blue and green hue, and above the roof are the words ‘Victoria Coach Station’ in blue. On the left side of the bus stop sits a man wearing a black mask covering his face. He also wears a mauve polo shirt, a windbreaker jacket, suit trousers and black shoes. Christopher has short receding hair, and wears a grey windbreaker jacket zipped almost to the top, with a patterned jumper underneath, grey suit trousers, black shoes and wire-rimmed glasses.

David Thewlis in Landscapers © Sky

During filming, production visited Kent to film at Laredo Western Town in Longfield near Dartford. The production filmed a dream sequence where Susan Edwards reimagines the events surrounding the murder of her parents and her subsequent arrest.

Laredo Western Town is situated just twenty miles from London. The town represents the American Wild West as it would have been in 1865 to 1889 featuring 24 buildings including a two-story Hotel with Saloon Bar, Marshals Office, working Blacksmiths, Livery Stables, Bank and many more. All the interiors are fully furnished and decorated to the period. Previous productions to film here include Finding Neverland (2004) and Blood Moon (2014).

Dartford is a historic market town with a rich industrial heritage and boasts Bluewater, one of the largest shopping centres in Europe. Recent productions to film here include Gangs of London (2020-2022) and The Corrupted (2019).

 Landscapers was released on Sky Atlantic and NowTV on Tuesday 7th December 2021.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.