The BAFTA-nominated film ‘All of Us Strangers’ is now in cinemas (from Friday 26 January) and anyone from Croydon – especially Sanderstead – who goes to see it will recognize many places. The film tells the story of Adam (played by Andrew Scott) who is drawn back to his childhood home where he finds his parents still alive despite having died 30 years ago – and this home happens to be on Purley Downs Road, in Sanderstead.
It is only after his chance meeting with the mysterious neighbor Harry (Paul Mescal) that the screenwriter wants to take a trip down memory lane. It is in these flashbacks that Croydon takes center stage. Like the main character, the South London neighborhood has a deeper meaning for the director of the emotional drama, Andrew Haigh. Haigh lived in Sanderstead as a boy and the nostalgic 1980s family home that Adam returns to is actually where Haigh grew up.
The house on Purley Downs Road was closed for filming from 27 June to 8 July 2022. Haigh said: “I left that place when I was eight or nine and I’ve never been back. You see Adam holding up a photo ( as he tries to find the house), and there’s a photo of me and my mom, with Claire Foy in place of my mom—I used that photo to find it. When I went back in there, it felt like a haunted house.”
Haigh recalled that his childhood eczema broke out during filming. He explained: “I thought maybe it’s the bloody royal house! The film is about how we store trauma, big and small, and it felt like my body was physically reacting to how I felt when I was younger.”
Andrew Pavord, Croydon Film Officer, explained how they worked with local people to ensure Haigh’s vision came to life. He said: “This one was very difficult because Purley Downs Road is a busy road with a lot of residents and they wanted full closure.
“In the end, we reached a compromise that everyone was happy with. At this point, we had to move forward with this location because of the historical accuracy of the story.
“The director was determined to use his own childhood home and you kind of have to understand the artistic vision. We really wanted to deliver it for them. It’s a great film and I don’t think it would have had the same impact if we had had them use another place. I think you can tell from the actors involved that they soaked up the atmosphere.”
Haigh has said he wished he had visited the shopping center more as a youngster, which to those growing up in Croydon may now seem shocking given its more recent association with empty shops. As well as familiar Croydon destinations, the film also explores different parts of London, including a scene filmed on the Waterloo & City line.
Transport features on Adam’s arrival in his hometown as well as he pulls into Sanderstead station. Other destinations are not as clear, for example we are not told where the new tower block in which the main character lives is located.
Illuminating the area in this way makes Croydon a character of its own, showing how we resonate with events from the past. However, it is not the city’s first TV or film appearance as it has appeared in TV comedies and action movies and even been transformed into New York in the upcoming Netflix Drama American Assassin.
Andrew Pavord said it is “remarkably versatile as a place.” But it’s one of the first times Croydon’s identity isn’t hidden on screen.
At the time of filming, residents were left in suspense as the actors were not revealed to them. A local said: “All the crew could tell me was that it’s a ghost story and what they’re filming now are flashback scenes in the 1980s.
“I’m not sure why they chose this street or that house in particular. The road has been full of massive vans full of kit and they’ve hired out drivers to keep their vehicles on, but other than that it’s extremely quiet! “
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