Get Away – An Inconsistent Horror Comedy (Early Review)

Get Away sees director Steffan Haars reteam with Nick Frost in their second collaboration of the year following Krazy House. This time around, the story follows Richard (Frost), Susan (Bea), Sam (Croft) and Jesse (Ayres), a family on vacation who travel to a remote island after being warned by several locals not to go. Their trip, however, takes an unexpected turn when they discover the island is inhabited by a serial killer. This is merely the tip of the iceberg as far as the film is concerned as it is best enjoyed going in knowing as little as possible and having avoided spoilers, therefore this review will not go any further than that. Either way, the film will certainly won’t work for everyone and become a source of division among audiences but in spite of this, it still mostly succeeds at what it set out to do and will appeal to the most avid horror buffs.

The film effectively builds tension, intrigue, and mystery throughout to the point that it is never boring and remains engaging while maintaining a playfully dark sense of humour throughout. Its aforementioned island setting is beautifully captured by cinematographer Joris Kerbosch, adding to both the humor and creepy factor. Meanwhile, the pacing allows the film, and its 86-minute runtime, to simply fly by. The cast all go for it, starting with Frost who is in typically great form as Richard and Bea’s Susan might just steal the show with her comedic timing and delivery. Given a lot to do, Ayres’ Jessie is arguably be the most interesting character. When it comes to films like these, a bloody and bonkers final act is almost to be expected, but in the case, the final act of this film is one that is definitely going to turn off a large number of audiences. However, for those who can roll with it, it will likely be the most entertaining part.

A big reason for its possibly divisive nature is how its comedy works as a whole. While tense and creepy at times, the film is never particularly scary to the point that it doesn’t truly feel like a horror film. On the other side, its humour is as inconsistent, with some jokes falling completely flat in a way that one can’t help but wonder who on earth would even find any of it funny. The biggest reason why it doesn’t completely work is a big shift near the halfway mark that feature reveals and takes the film in surprising directions, the main linchpin for that shift is somewhat predictable and one that most audiences will see coming. Knowing of it, or at least suspecting that shift coming, lessens the suspense and pushes audiences from the edge and back into their seats. That being said, it is far from a badly written film. A few tweaks and some other changes to the script would have made the film more satisfying as a whole. As it stands, it leaves audiences with plenty of unanswered questions that will leave many scratching their heads once the credits roll.

Though not without its flaws, Get Away is a decent horror comedy that delivers enough entertainment to warrant at least a mild recommendation aided by its favorably short runtime. A well made film that showcases Steffan Haars’ promise as a director, hopefully his next project experiences a better fate by avoiding many of the same pitfalls faced here.

still courtesy of IFC Films and Shudder

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Connor Carey

www.connorsmoviereviews.com/