Title – Ebony and Ivory (2024)
Director – Jim Hosking (The Greasy Strangler)
Cast – Sky Elobar, Gil Gex
Plot – Two musical legends Paul (Elobar) and Stevie (Gex) meet up at a remote Scottish cottage located on the Mull of Kintyre where they converse, enjoy vegetarian cuisine and potentially plot a musical number that will change the world.
“Together in perfect harmony”
Review by Eddie on 20/11/2025
Marking his third feature film outing off the back of the how could you ever forget it The Greasy Strangler in 2016 and the cult comedy masterpiece that was 2018’s An Evening with Beverly Luff Linn, Jim Hosking’s unashamedly strange and meaningless Ebony and Ivory proves that the totally unique writer/director isn’t going to change who he is, for better and worse.
Now before we go any further, if you want to know if you’re on the same wavelength as Hosking and ready for the bizarre trip he is going to take you on should you be willing to accept go and watch his oddly brilliant ad/music video for ride sharing/delivery company DiDi.
Titled Yes, I DiDi, I can assure you that you’ve never quite seen a piece of marketing like it. A brilliant fever dream (or nightmare depending on who you ask) of short filmmaking, if the three or so minutes there is unbearable you should steer very clear of this near 90 minute oddity.
The polar opposite of what some unsuspecting viewers might expect, naively thinking they’re going to enjoy a comedic take on Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder enjoying a quiet weekend together while they craft their famous song from the early 1980’s, Ebony and Ivory does indeed centre on a Paul and Stevie coming together but I am fairly sure the real story didn’t involve prolonged nudity, vegetarian delights and sheep as Hosking pits Sky Elobar and Gil Gex opposite each other to out-weird one another in what amounts to a series of bizarre conversations and back and forwards.
Devoid of anything that even attempts to resemble a plot, Ebony and Ivory is Hosking’s most floaty feature yet that does suffer throughout its runtime from a sense of aimlessness and time wasting, even if there are still some bizarre delights that should ensure this obscure slice of the absurd is a regular on cult circuits for the years yet to come.
Designed by Hosking during the Covid-19 era, it feels as though Ebony and Ivory was more of an easy next step for him rather than something he was overtly passionate about, considering the film eventually made its debut six years after the whacky joys of Beverly Luff Linn it’s a shame Ebony and Ivory didn’t quite hit the same high notes.
Luckily we have the flute riddled joys of Yes, I Didi to enjoy in the meantime while we await Hosking’s next wild move.
Final Say –
With a lack of purpose and equal amount misses as there are hits, Ebony and Ivory is Hosking’s weakest feature yet but you still can’t deny Hosking’s passion and commitment to stick to his guns for better and worse.
2 1/2 nugget slides out of 5
Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys) 