Await Further Instructions

This film almost got there. The brutal reviews don't make sense to me, because it's honesty not that bad. Average. Started off strong then fizzled out. This film had premise but didn't know what to do with it. Still an enjoyable watch.

This film immediately got my attention, it seemed to fall under a sub category that I love and I was gripped. Sadly it didn't deliver the way that I expected and that's a real shame.

You see Await Further Instructions tells the story of a family brought together for Christmas. When drama occurs two of them decide to leave at the crack of dawn but find themselves locked in. Every door and window is sealed by some kind of metal and now the television is giving them instructions! So what is going on? Terrorism? Quarantine? Or something more nefarious?

I liked this, I liked the family dynamic and how they each reacted. Some rationally, others counter productive. The movie also touches upon religion, how they badly "Reached" to deem what was taking place as relevant to their particular faith causing further irrational behavior and hysteria.

Starring GoT/Harry Potter/The Strain star David Bradley I was thoroughly hooked by the movie and fascinated to see where it would go next. Trouble is, where it goes isn't as entertaining.

A slow burner, the pace works and kept me engaged but as soon as certain revelations take place and questions get answered you realize just how badly the writer has dropped the ball. They took a really enjoyable movie with a great concept and tagged on the end a moronic, awful finale that looks terrible and simply isn't very good at all.

Personally based on everything we found out I'd like to see a sequel to this, but one where they give more thought to the ending.

The Good:

Solid concept

The Bad:

Dreadful finale

The one thing it is trying to say is fine, but cheese 'n' crackers the rest is bum gravy. The acting isn't wooden, more like cut outs from the back of cereal carton, who told Neerja Naik she could act? Jeezus, I felt my gums receding every time she appeared. One of those films where after 15 mins you'll question 'but how, but why don't they, but surely you'd do that' and finally 'but why am I still watching'? However for a new movie it didn't sell out to the crap that Amazon, the BBC and Netflix THINK is the way forward

What starts off as the usual miserable British family Christmas soon transforms into a a unique, off the wall British horror, where one dysfunctional family are quite literally ruled by the television.

The positives for me are the performances, and the originality of the story. In particular I loved David Bradley, he was literally monstrous, and Abigail Cruttenden was great as the poor wife on the edge. It would be so easy to dismiss this film, as it does go completely bonkers towards the end, but applied them for at least doing something different.

On the debit side, it did look a little cheap and amateur at times, it's not exactly what you'd call a slick production. If have liked to know a little more about the strange force.

Despite the harsh reviews, I'd recommend it, just don't take it too seriously. 7/10

A low budget British horror, which for 75% of the film is interesting, and thought provoking... The main problem is the last quarter, which gives the appearance that the director ran out of ideas and budget... It becomes a 'B' movie horror with special effects straight out of 1970s Dr Who... Such a shame..