Review of Calibre (2018) by Garry A — 07 Jul 2018

"Two lifelong friends head up to an isolated Scottish Highlands village for a weekend hunting trip. Nothing could prepare them for what follows." The IMDB blurb for Matt Palmer's 'Calibre' really does it a disservice. While at it's heart, it exists in a similar genre to films like 'The Wicker Man', or even 'Straw Dogs', it toys with established convention, sailing close enough to cliche, without descending into it.

The plot is deceiving straight forward - two life-long pals, decide to escape city-life for a few days deerstalking in the highlands. The film starts slow, with limited back-story introduced (we learn one of the men is due to become a father) and although these characters aren't necessarily fleshed out, we learn enough about them to understand their motivations as the plot develops. And develop it does. After setting up base in the local village, the two leads head to the neighbourhood pub, where they manage to make new acquaintances and new enemies alike. It is the well travelled path of 'city folk v angry locals' but the movie then takes a walk on the wild side and goes in another direction completely.

A tragic event the next day, which occurs while the two characters are hungover and dishevelled from the night before, closes the first act. The film then evolves into questioning morality and guilt and indeed how far we would go to remain loyal to friends and family. Jack Lowden and Martin McCann are outstanding in the lead roles, offering range-flaunting performances, nuanced at times yet powerfully emotional when needed. First time writer-director Matt Palmer also excels, offering a string looking film (aided by the beautiful location in which it is shot) but a script that really shines. When the movie looks to be going in a certain direction, he steers it another way entirely, resulting in the viewer remaining transfixed and equally tense throughout. It captivates because of how realistic both the situation and character reactions are. A rare gem from Netflix.