Following a break up with his girlfriend Carlson (Matt Prendergast) seeks a cheap place to stay by becoming a guardian of an old home in London. The only problem is that he has to share the role with Lavender (David Whitney) whose peculiarities and tall tales make his stay an ordeal in more ways than one. 

Guardians is a hidden gem buried within streaming services thanks to its low budget and popular shared name. Written and directed by Mark A. C. Brown it is a very British comedy about an odd couple that draws its laughs from a witty script, chemistry between its leads and outlandish scenario. 

A joke within its opening minutes should tell you right away if this is a film for you. Buxton (Mike Shepherd), the agent showing the home says that they refer to it as Helen Mirren, “203 years old and still worth a punt”. Elsewhere there are jokes about politicians and sex parties, invasion of personal space and whether our protagonists were watching “Bargain Hunt” or “Flog It”.

David Whitney is a shining beacon as the down on his luck toff Lavender. The standout moment for me is when we see him training whilst ensuring it is within the setting he is likely to get into a fight in. 

Without casting aspersions it very much feels like an extended (it runs at 84 minutes) and more polished sitcom episode. A small cast mostly contained within one location squeezed into an outlandish scenario with a very funny script. It even features Red Dwarf’s Hattie Hayridge in a small cameo as a woman trying to raise money to save the urban fox!