Get Away

Pretty entertaining international folk horror that develops into a slasher comedy. Features two of my favourite comedy actors - both Nick Frost and Aisling Bea put in good performances as characters that get more interesting when the killing starts. Feels somewhat rushed at times with having mixed genres and cultures (packing a lot in). It may have been better as a short series where we got to know more about the locals, the dark history of the island and the visiting family. Left some unanswered questions about the history, the traditions and decapitations referred to! Bit scary as a slasher, bit unnerving as a folk horror and sometimes darkly funny.

Nick Frost likes a light horror. After just starring in the ghostly "Black Cab" he stars in and wrote extremely silly slasher send-up "Get Away". He & wife Aisling Bea (with teen kids Maisie Ayres & Sebastian Croft) go on holiday to a small, remote Swedish island that's about to go into its annual macabre festival... and does NOT want them there. Though the story has hints of "Midsommer" the style couldn't be more different, and the quality's way off too. Steffen Haars' direction is basic and the performances are mediocre (though Ayres is decent on her big-screen debut, as are Eero Milonoff & Anitta Suikkari as nutty local Swedes). It's moderately entertaining, but sure ain't great.

An English family of 2.4 children arrive on a small Swedish island, to witness and observe the celebration of Karantän, unfortunately a killer is also on the island.

There's something very old school about this movie, it felt as though it could have been made back in 2006, when this style was very popular, so from that point of view it was familiar, but fresh.

It doesn't deserve some of the negative reviews, I can't help but wonder if some of those are based on the first half of the movie, which is very, very slow, but countered by a riotous second half.

The twist was unexpected, and it was fun to see the tables turned.

The performances are good, and there are some hilarious one liners, with Frost daring to make jokes about subjects that have become humour free.

The first half is just too slow for me to class this as a good film, but the conclusion was a hoot. Once again you'll wonder what The Swedes must make of the way Brits like to portray them, only slightly less weird than in Midsommar.

6/10.

Perhaps the most enjoyably wacky performance here comes from Maisie Ayres, while the rest of the cast (Nick Frost, Aisling Bea, and Sebastian Croft in lead roles) is adequate. The twist (+ shift in tone) that happens around the 55th minute (or so) feels sufficiently smooth, and that's why I'm rating this 3 stars-it's a 2.5 otherwise. The last half hour is a bloody showcase, offering some inventive, gratifying kills. Well, given that he's the writer, Nick Frost has some funny lines in the first two acts.. and besides Ayres, that's what keeps the whole tired premise (up until that point) going. I think this will help Ayres land more roles, which I'm really looking forward to.

So many bad reviews! So unwarranted! It's no Oscar winner, but it's also not that bad. Yes, I thought I saw the twist quite early, but I wasn't certain so it kept me guessing. It's good these days to get a film of sensible length, that maintains my interest for most of the movie. The comedy, whilst limited, was in keeping with the pace and characters. What do people want from a Sky Original? I'm not sure it will do much for Scandinavian tourism, but I'd be tempted to visit the island for novelty value. From unwelcoming locals to an incredibly useless police officer, the supporting cast did the job of supporting. The main cast were effective whilst remaining subtle in their roles. I enjoyed it for what it was - a 'B' Movie that knew it was a 'B' Movie!