Uncle Douglas

Barry is a mild mannered man, who is facing his second Christmas without his wife. However, he has to put up with Uncle Pat coming round to see him and his children. Douglas is a bully of a man who was to blame for the death of his sister - Barry's wife. While Douglas has a fatherly chat with young Michael, Sarah and Pat talk in the kitchen - but Douglas has things coming to him that he can't know about.

Sometimes black comedies are so dark that it is impossible to laugh at them, here this could have been the case but it manages to be darkly sick and funny. The basic plot is about revenge and the idea of family life. The Tomkinson family appears entirely normal here but we learn more and more as the film goes on we begin to learn that grudges are borne against Douglas and that revenge is the order of the day. Beyond this the film also holds some dark family secrets in store.

It is hard to describe this film's appeal without giving too much away - and the unexpectedness of the film is what makes it funny in part. It is a bit sick some of the stuff near the end, but it is still hilariously over the top. Faulkner is really good as Douglas - a man that no member of the audience could really feel for. Greenall is as good and I must draw special attention to Pierson who is natural but also very, very cute!

Overall, a dark little relationship short that is quite sick in it's own way but very funny. It may not say anything too real about relationship but it is very funny nonetheless.