The consensus on Bait is strongly positive, with all eleven reviews praising its account of class friction in a Cornish fishing village. Praise centres on Jenkin’s hand-crafted black-and-white 16mm images, fractured editing and post-synchronised sound. Most critics see these techniques as closely tied to the story’s displacement and misunderstandings, rather than as decoration. The reviews also value its treatment of gentrification, while Time Out singles out Edward Rowe’s performance for its humanity.
The differences are chiefly matters of emphasis and enthusiasm: the supplied reviews contain no recurring reservation or negative dissent. Some stress the unsettling atmosphere and experimental filmmaking; others find comedy, social observation and solid storytelling beneath the scratched images. Variety particularly praises the refusal to simplify community tensions. Ratings range from measured approval to full marks, but the shared judgement is that the unusual technique serves a recognisable, contemporary conflict.
