Sightseers

Ben Wheatley’s Kill List calling card from a couple of years ago had its faults, but it certainly raised many questions to be answered and demanded (if you had the stomach for it) repeated viewings to unravel all its (still argued about) mysteries. Wheatley’s follow up, Sightseers, needs no such detective work, though it still raises a few posers in respect of its tone and execution. Execution is probably a good word to continue on from as well as the film concerns a couple of tourists (Chris and Tina) who, finding themselves becoming hacked off with members of the public that they meet on their travels around the UK, er, murder them, before continuing on their merry way. Yes, it’s the type of black comedy that only Britain really produces (and has an audience that understands it). The couple in question (Steve Oram and Alice Lowe) also double up as two-thirds of the screen scripters (Amy Jump completes the trio) and it clearly works as the deadpan delivery of their own lines provide many laughs as the two of them work their way through a story that provides many moments of dry humour and (good natured) straight faced mockery of local tourist attractions. There are also some nice views of the UK countryside, but the script does mean that Wheatley can’t do much with the camera. In addition, despite a short running time the film runs out of ideas fairly quickly, capped off by an ending which doesn’t sit quite right. Also be warned that the comedy here really is as black as it comes, much of it deriving from acts of horrific violence (you’ll feel guilty laughing). It isn’t as graphic as what Wheatley gave us in Kill List, but it does make for a nice comparison. In that film, the people having the hurt put upon them were child predator’s et al, a decision purposely made in order that the audience could actually cope with what they were seeing on screen. Here, there is no such get out. The people meeting their maker at the hands of Chris and Tina are guilty of being no-more than anti-social at worst, but it’s a classic moral dilemma that Wheatley poses to the audience. Chris and Tina are villains in the eyes of morality and the law, but to the average Joe on the street, they could be (anti)heroes. It’s a queasy conundrum to contemplate as you try not to run over that annoying cyclist in your car on the way home from the cinema…..

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict

Much like Kill List, this will have a cult following years down the line. Time someone gave Wheatley a proper budget so we can see what he can really do. Rating: 7/10.