LFF 2012 - Sightseers

Last year Ben Wheatley brought to screen a film that literally saw audiences perplexed and stunned as they walked out of cinemas following the sights of Kill List. To say it solidified its place in the mind long after viewing would be an understatement as it truly shocked and maintained a sharp eeriness throughout. Now it seems Wheatley has head for a more light-hearted approach to horror as his latest horror-comedy Sightseers takes a turn for the great British countryside.

Despite her quibbling mother's insistence on men being nothing but a disappointment and her fears of being abandoned, Tina (Alice Lowe) is all set for a holiday of adventure with her boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram). Steve, determined to show Tina his way of life, has a caravan trip all set out that sees them hitting the countryside and visiting such sights as a pencil museum, an aqueduct and a tram museum.

As the couple set out, it appears that their love is growing stronger as the miles clock up, but when a man they encounter is seen littering Chris acts upon it and murders him. The trip furthering into the countryside, Chris soon finds that his killer instinct is growing with full force and a series of other tourists find themselves a victim of his, and eventually Tina's, wrath.

A stark change from Kill List, Wheatley's Sightseers is grim and funny in equal proportions. Replacing the hard-faced leads of Neil Maskell and Michael Smiley come two individuals who are placed completely on the other end of the spectrum. Oram and Lowe's Chris and Tina are an utter delight in their leading roles and represent a rather unconventional kind of love.

Lovers turned serial killers, our two protagonists instantly click as the laughs roll in and the arguments begin to flow in what can only be described as the most hilariously odd film of the year. Oram controlling the events as the loving yet seriously hampered Chris is a sight to behold and Lowe is a tour-de-force as the vulnerable and rather simple dog-lover Tina is dragged into a life she never quite expected to be part of.

The leads are superlative in their execution, both having written the story, deliver each and every line with a sense of humour that offers great exuberance and a chemistry that is second to none. Aside from the main pairing, Sightseers also excels in providing support characters that each play their own important part; an insistently nagging mother at the head of proceedings along with snobby and frustrating tourists all adding to the rather twisted joys of the film.

In addition to their utterly breathless performances, Oram and Lowe must be commended for their fantastically poised screenplay. With experience in such psychedelic projects as Garth Merenghi's Darkplace and It's All Gone Pete Tong, it comes as no surprise that the pairing have come up with such a diverse and brilliantly unconventional black comedy that taps into both love and murder in equal measure.

In Ben Wheatley, Britain has a keenly pursued director in bringing to life the weird and the wonderful, and in Sightseers he once again achieves a status of a man who can bring to life the most unique and engaging tales of human culture. Showcasing a continued lust for unrestrained violence, as well as a fondness for superb characters and dynamic relationships, Wheatley moves on from disconcerting horror to all-out black comedy thrills. Aided by some exceptional cinematography really capturing the beauty of the countryside amongst the darkness of his character's actions, the director creates one of the best black comedies to emanate from English soils in some time.

An ode to love stories, albeit with an unconventional twist, Sightseers sets love and murder on a collision course in what is one of the year's funniest and imaginative tales to have been told. Wheatley's penchant for the occult rarely acknowledged this time around, although not fully non-existent, in favour of a love story, Sightseers is an incredible follow-up to last year's unforgettable horror. Beautifully shot in the wonderful countryside, the film cleverly weaves a tale of love, horror and forgiveness whilst maintaining a humourous edge.

Oram and Lowe are a frightful delight as the year's serial killing Bonnie and Clyde, both evolving from seemingly harmless lovers to bloodthirsty tourists on a journey of eroticism and sightseeing. Aided by a sharp and witty script from their own twisted minds, the pair remain a driving force throughout and are backed by some memorable co-stars almost inevitably set to face their wrath.

Sightseers is a continuation of Ben Wheatley's expertise in film-making and is a welcome change in direction for a man who is rising to further stardom with each film he makes. A love story with a dark edge, Sightseers is an achievement of big proportions and proves that Britain still possesses clout in producing black comedy that both produces multiple winces and shed-loads of belly laughs.