Review of Sightseers (2012) by Ben S — 19 Dec 2012

Unforgettable jet black comedy about a coupleâ(TM)s horrific roadtrip. Tina (Alice Lowe) lives a sheltered life with her overbearing mother, working on her knitting and pining the loss of their beloved dog Poppy â" until new boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram) sweeps her off on a caravan holiday to the Northâ(TM)s tourist â~hotspotsâ(TM) â" including Crich Tramway Museum and Keswick Pencil Museum â" with the promise of an âerotic odysseyâ?.

But the holiday soon spirals out of control as the couple encounter litterbugs and snobs, and Chrisâ(TM)s short fuse and sadistic violent temper becomes apparent, leaving a trail of death across rural England.

On paper it sounds like another cringeworthy piece of British comedy undeserving of a big screen release, but director Ben Wheatly has shaped it into a much darker beast pulling on eerie Wicker Man references, and two fantastic characters to create a truly memorable piece of British cinema.

Black comedies often suffer from being neither dark nor funny enough. â~Sightseersâ(TM) strikes the balance perfectly while keeping a consistent tone throughout â" the dialogue is a dark surreal twist on British naturalism, like a nightmarish mix of Mike Leigh and Spike Milligan.

The laughs are consistent and never feel cheap, always stemming from the characters, and the dark sections will satisfy the biggest horror fans. Lowe & Oram wrote â~Sightseersâ(TM) as well as starring in it and their understanding of the material and characters is clear â" giving the couple real life and authentic chemistry.

The tender moments feel believably poignant and the dark flashes of violence feel all the more disturbing because of it. Itâ(TM)s so enjoyable to watch Tina and Chris up on the screen that it would probably have worked as a straight romantic comedy â" the inclusion of the gory murders is what gives the film its edge but itâ(TM)s the well drawn characters that hold it all together.

No matter how outlandish the situations they encounter itâ(TM)s always the coupleâ(TM)s peculiar relationship and love for each other that remain central to the film.