I Came By takeaway: How does absolute power corrupt absolutely in the thriller film?

I Came By, a thriller directed by Babak Anvari, was released on Netflix on Wednesday, August 31. The film is about powerplay and deals with a graffiti artist, Toby, who discovers the secret of a judge after breaking into his house.

I Came By features a cast of George MacKay as Toby, Kelly MacDonalds as Elizabeth "Lizzie," Hugh Bonneville as judge Hector Blake, Percelle Ascott as Jay, and Varada Sethu as Naz, among others.

The film highlights the power differences in society irrespective of color, caste, creed, or religion. Bonneville's character Hector Blake has a distaste for immigrants due to personal reasons, but he is condescending to anyone who is beneath him. Thus, I Came By defines the saying, "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Read on to learn more about what I Came By has to offer.

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What is absolute power in I Came By, and how did it corrupt absolutely?

The face of absolute power in I Came By is the judge Hector Blake, also referred to as Saint Blake. Blake comes from a family of imperialists and generational wealth.

Although he has told Omar, the masseur, he did not want to study law, he did so upon his father's insistence. Blake is the kind of man that can never be questioned, owing to his background and reputation.

He discloses his true self to Omar and tells him about his father's affair with their servant from India, Ravi. Blake adds that due to his father's infidelity, he and his mother are marginalized in their house. Blake's mother dies by suicide shortly after.

It was this event that germinated the seeds of anti-immigrants in Blake. Ironically, he champions the cause of asylum seekers in the UK and even delivered speeches about how regulations conducive to the case of immigrants should be put into place.

Blake is the kind who would rather despise his father and still hang his portrait in the living room than voice his disapproval of him. Instead of ever criticizing his father, Blake takes a violent approach toward immigrants in his personal life.

Although the film fails to show other moments of Blake's anti-immigrant ideology coming to life, it portrays how those in power exploit their position as a personal vendetta.

For instance, when Blake approaches a hesitant Omar after attempting to kill him, he threatens to use his position to cancel Omar's application for permanent membership in the UK.

Blake's condescending nature is not restricted to individuals or groups he considers beneath himself. When police officers arrive after Toby alerts them about Blake holding a man captive in his basement, the judge not only tries to dissuade the white officers from searching his house but also hints that he would bring this up with the officer's senior, who happens to be Blake's good friend.

The fact that Blake kills Toby and his mother, Lizzie, both white, further validates that his psychopathic nature has nothing to do with race.

George MacKay and Babak Anvari filming 'I Came By' (Image via IMDb)

In another instance, when Detective Sergeant Ella Lloyd approaches and searches Blake's house a second time and even spots the red door where he had earlier held a man captive, Blake threatens Lloyd. Despite being arrested for his behavior with a police officer at work, he is later left scot-free.

It is Blake's audacity to think he can get away with things because of his background and reputation.

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I Came By is currently streaming on Netflix.