Franklyn



"Preest: Somebody once said that religion was deemed by the commoners as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful. The only thing I believe is that my name is Jonathan Preest. And tonight, I'm gonna kill a man."

Franklyn is a low budget British film directed by independent filmmaker Gerald McMorrow and stars Eva Green, Ryan Phillppe, Sam Riley and Bernard Hill. Split between London and the gloomy metropolis that is Meanwhile City, the plot revolves around an art student obsessed with death, a young man recently left at the altar who is in search of true love, a masked vigilante who stalks Meanwhile City in pursuit of the enigmatic Individual and a father searching for his missing son. As the film progresses, these seemingly unconnected tales are tied together as Preest closes in on his objective.

Not to be confused with Franklin the Turtle.

This film includes examples of:

 * : Both are implied to be this, seeing as they each appear to the protagonists to guide and impart wisdom, and.
 * This trope is only enforced by the fact that
 * Badass Longcoat: Preest has one.
 * Badass Normal: Vigilante Johnathan Preest possesses no actual powers and instead relies on basic combat skills
 * Dark World: Meanwhile City exists as a dark and manifestation of London.
 * Expy: Preest is a gruff, masked loner in a Badass Longcoat who defies the society he views as corrupt, wandering the streets at night monologuing to himself while engaging in vigilante activities. Sound familiar?
 * Arguable. Rorschach is driven by a fundamentalist belief in Objectivism. Preest comes across as a mix of nihilism and humanism.
 * Imaginary Friend:
 * Mad Artist: Emilia, a suicidal artist, creates videos of her suicide attempts and the efforts of the ambulance crew to resuscitate her.
 * : Obviously, a lot of what the characters experience is revealed to be, but there are an awful lot of coincidences...
 * This theory is supported by the fact that
 * Only Sane Man: Preest sees himself as this.
 * Religion Is Wrong: The main contention of Johnathan Preest, the only atheist in the faith-dominated Meanwhile City.
 * Sinister Minister: The Individual, head of the shadowly Duplex Ride cult.
 * Through the Eyes of Madness:
 * Sunglasses At Night
 * Title Drop: The title becomes a significant plot point in the final act of the film.
 * Villainous Fashion Sense: The villainous Mooks Dress in Tophats, Dark Glasses, long black jackets, and really tight black pants.
 * White Mask of Doom