Ben Wheatley, back with his third film Sightseers,
is managing to carve a relatively new niche genre in cinema – the
social realist horror. Admittedly that might sound potentially god-awful
to some, and it’s not as if it’s entirely his own construct – the
MiniDV grit of 28 Days Later and the brit-horror stylings of Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent)
are no doubt influences. But if any directors are to be earmarked as
Wheatley’s reference points, I’d hazard a guess at Ken Loach, Mike
Leigh, Tony Richardson. But with far more blood, spit and bile thrown at
the screen than all three of them could ever muster.
If you’ve seen Kill List, Wheatley’s 2010 sophomore effort,
you’ll feel in familiar territory from the off – a dark, tangible sense
of dread seems to seep from the screen with almost effortless ease (bear
in mind this is a comedy produced by Edgar Wright, no less). Chris
(Steve Oram) and Tina (Alice Lowe) are a somewhat naïve couple in the
early stages of their blossoming relationship, escaping from Tina’s
domineering mother for a caravan tour of Britain. Taking in what some
might consider true gems of our tourist industry (Keswick’s Pencil Museum and Crich Tramway Village
– who HASN’T been?!), it doesn’t take long before the cracks start to
appear in Chris’s psyche, visibly and vocally disgusted by a fellow
tourist dropping litter on a heritage tram. What would be an incident of
minor consequence to most is of serious concern to Chris, and events
take a decidedly dark turn for the worst – events that Tina,
surprisingly, isn’t entirely unhappy with.
It’s a stunningly beautiful film in places, with some epic wide shots
and hilltop sunsets showing the best of Britain, even in the rain and
hail. But the best of Britain is far from what Sightseers is
about, and as a blacker-than-black comedy it scores high marks across
the board. Both the leads are superb, their actions for the most part
beyond reprehensible, yet you never fail to care about their fate. Chris
in particular is a genuinely terrifying creation, and if Steve’s still
got his angry ginger beard when he and Wheatley are here for a Q&A
on Wed 31 Oct, I’m going to be first out the door. That said, both he
and Tina are roundly upstaged by Banjo the dog (or is it Poppy?), and
it’s no surprise he won the Palm Dog when the film premiered as part of
the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes this year to rave reviews.
If you’re expecting Kill List II, you may feel somewhat short-changed. But comparing like for like is surely not what Wheatley is after, Sightseers proving
that while he’s a director carving out his own style he’s not afraid to
test new waters. That said, it’s still a brutal, chilling film, but
coated in such a flawless black comedy veneer that you can easily forget
just how shocking it is.
Now, has anyone seen Banjo…?
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