140 reviews
Last year's "Kill List" was one of the creepiest, most disturbing films I had seen in a long time. It's a film that stayed with me long after the screening, and one I encouraged friends and associates to check out. Some still haven't forgiven me.
Imagine the combination of dread/anticipation I felt about the chance to see director Ben Wheatley's latest slice of darkness entitled "Sightseers". Described by some as a "dark comedy", I would say that the only thing possibly darker than Wheatley's sense of humor would be the center of a black hole.
"Sightseers" tells the story of a frumpy British couple off on 'holiday' (as they say,) the problems that come up on such trips, and the unique way they choose to solve them. Saying any more would give too much away. Suffice it to say, may you NEVER come across a couple like this on your vacation.
Is it funny? Yes, it is. But you may hate yourself for laughing. Is it violent? For sure. Exceptionally. But in the context of the story, it has to be. Is it disturbing? Oh, yes it is, but once again Wheatley has made a film that once you've started it, you'll find it difficult to turn away. And, like "Kill List", the ending packs a wallop from which it may take you a while to recover.
Films like "Sightseers" are tough to categorize, and even tougher to recommend. This is not the feel-good hit of the summer. It is a look into the blackest parts of human nature, and how that blackness is often camouflaged by the banality of everyday existence. I wouldn't call Wheatley's films "entertaining", but damned if they don't get an emotional response out of me. So seek it out but you have been warned.
www.worstshowontheweb.com
Imagine the combination of dread/anticipation I felt about the chance to see director Ben Wheatley's latest slice of darkness entitled "Sightseers". Described by some as a "dark comedy", I would say that the only thing possibly darker than Wheatley's sense of humor would be the center of a black hole.
"Sightseers" tells the story of a frumpy British couple off on 'holiday' (as they say,) the problems that come up on such trips, and the unique way they choose to solve them. Saying any more would give too much away. Suffice it to say, may you NEVER come across a couple like this on your vacation.
Is it funny? Yes, it is. But you may hate yourself for laughing. Is it violent? For sure. Exceptionally. But in the context of the story, it has to be. Is it disturbing? Oh, yes it is, but once again Wheatley has made a film that once you've started it, you'll find it difficult to turn away. And, like "Kill List", the ending packs a wallop from which it may take you a while to recover.
Films like "Sightseers" are tough to categorize, and even tougher to recommend. This is not the feel-good hit of the summer. It is a look into the blackest parts of human nature, and how that blackness is often camouflaged by the banality of everyday existence. I wouldn't call Wheatley's films "entertaining", but damned if they don't get an emotional response out of me. So seek it out but you have been warned.
www.worstshowontheweb.com
SIGHTSEERS is very much a team effort: the two stars (Alice Lowe and Steve Oram) also co-wrote the script. With a distinct nod to earlier films such as Terrence Malick's BADLANDS (1973), it focuses on two lovers, Tina and Chris, who embark on a caravanning holiday that takes a decidedly bloody turn, as they dispose of several innocent victims. Ben Wheatley's cinematic style is certainly startling, with its deliberate use of out-of-sync sound, fantasy sequences, memorable short of gore and a soundtrack that includes work by Soft Cell and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. The script is deadpan yet extremely funny: both protagonists get some valuable one-liners. What is perhaps more interesting, however, is Wheatley's focus on his characters' lives; hitherto they have spent their entire existences in total anonymity: Tina has lived with her mother Carol (Eileen Davies), and lavished all her love on a favorite terrier, who was unfortunately impaled to death on some knitting-needles. The road-trip gives Tina the chance to liberate herself, just like Chris, who dreams of becoming a full-time writer after having been made redundant. The idea of "writing" is significant; it suggest the desire to leave a legacy, to inscribe oneself in the present so as to be remembered. When Chris' writing dreams come to naught, he looks for alternative ways to establish himself; hence his desire to kill so as not to be pushed around by anyone (i.e. treated as a nobody). Tina follows suit; but what Wheatley suggests is that the two of them find it very difficult to work as a team - Chris believes that Tina has plagiarized his idea, and resents her for what she has done. Two serial killers don't attract as much media attention as one. For her part, Tina learns how to acquire self-determination, even though there are moments when she doubts herself. The film's ending takes us by surprise, reminding us that the protagonists were not as much in love as we thought they were. With its Grand Guignol action taking place against a breathtaking backdrop of the rolling hills of Yorkshire and the Lake District, SIGHTSEERS is strong meat, but definitely worth staying with.
- l_rawjalaurence
- Apr 24, 2014
- Permalink
Sightseers is emphatically not for your Aunt Nelly. Actually, it isn't suitable for my dad, most of the run-of-the-mill Saturday night cinema-goers, Daily Mail readers or the die-hard caravan owners who embark on such road trips. To be honest, Sightseers isn't right for many people at all; it's what you might call a niche film. It's going to satisfy a minority audience, but those few who do relish the thought of another dark, very dark, British comedy are going to absolutely delight in it.
Falling somewhere between Dexter and The League of Gentlemen (and if you don't know it, try Big Woman out for size – a Desert Island Disc if I'm ever invited on), Sightseers is a road movie about an odd couple with all manner of demons swirling around their minds. Tina (Alice Lowe) still lives with her mum, has been traumatized by the death of her dog, Poppy, and knits. Having seen nothing of the world, an invitation from her new boyfriend, Chris (Steve Oram), to join him on a caravan holiday around Yorkshire with an itinerary that includes a tram village and a pencil museum, is tantamount to a golden ticket to a new life. However, her overbearing, overly dependent witch of a mother doesn't want her to go and Chris has an angry streak with murderous consequences.
Sightseers is beautifully downbeat and both subtler and far darker than Dexter could ever manage. It never makes a big deal of being funny but casually drops in five-star moments throughout that don't always cause belly laughs but do prompt a regular supply of chuckles and wide-eyed smiles. The action, or rather certain activities by the odd couple, however, causes explosive guffaws and shrieks of delight, the bloodier the better judging from the small audience I shared the experience with. There's no judgment from me on that score, I laughed as loud as the best of them.
The first murder we enjoy is swift, but the effect lasts long and the understated humour of the act echoes some time later as Chris nonchalantly washes the remaining of the blood off his caravan wheel. His mild annoyance followed by a passing satisfaction at a job well done are precursors to the simmering rage that follows.
Sightseers doesn't skimp on the horror although director Ben Wheatley keeps the gore and actual violence to acceptable (for those with a strong stomach) levels. He has crafted some genuinely disturbing scenes that take their time building the anticipation until the inevitable and occasionally truly brutal conclusion arrives. There is one quick shot of a, um, demolished head that will have you reaching for a pause button to admire the make-up if nothing else.
But the joy of Sightseers is not in the moments of horror but in the consistency of the subtle humour from Osram's and Lowe's stinging screenplay as much as their chillingly dour performances. Their performances are never fanciful but frighteningly convincing and turn the stomach ever so slightly when one recalls brief interactions with similar characters in real life.
Sightseers invades the brain, it expulses laughter from the belly and at times it wriggles under the skin like white noise and scratches at the nerves. It isn't always easy to watch and the occasional quip is over-egged as if neither cast nor director were convinced it would work completely. It's a minor criticism and a great pity because whenever the dialogue and performances are restrained to levels of naturalism, and that occurs for a good 95% of the film, Sightseers flies. One of the funniest, non-violent moments occurs as Tina struggles to write a note with a six-foot pencil. It's a moment of genius that is allowed to play out in its own time and manner without a wink at the audience to tell us it is a good moment to laugh.
Wheatley's previous offering, 2011's Kill List, left me cold. It disturbed and annoyed in equal measures and Sightseers is a vast improvement. More than that, it's a standout film for the year and, though not quite on the humour plane of The Guard, it's the funniest film I've seen this year so far and has marked out Wheatley's follow up, A Field in England, as a film to look forward to in 2013.
After yesterday's battle with First Great Western trains and the threat of dark happenings in the company of caravanners, I think I'm going to stick to my car in future.
For more reviews from The Squiss subscribe to my blog at www.thesquiss.co.uk
Like the Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/RpitOG
Falling somewhere between Dexter and The League of Gentlemen (and if you don't know it, try Big Woman out for size – a Desert Island Disc if I'm ever invited on), Sightseers is a road movie about an odd couple with all manner of demons swirling around their minds. Tina (Alice Lowe) still lives with her mum, has been traumatized by the death of her dog, Poppy, and knits. Having seen nothing of the world, an invitation from her new boyfriend, Chris (Steve Oram), to join him on a caravan holiday around Yorkshire with an itinerary that includes a tram village and a pencil museum, is tantamount to a golden ticket to a new life. However, her overbearing, overly dependent witch of a mother doesn't want her to go and Chris has an angry streak with murderous consequences.
Sightseers is beautifully downbeat and both subtler and far darker than Dexter could ever manage. It never makes a big deal of being funny but casually drops in five-star moments throughout that don't always cause belly laughs but do prompt a regular supply of chuckles and wide-eyed smiles. The action, or rather certain activities by the odd couple, however, causes explosive guffaws and shrieks of delight, the bloodier the better judging from the small audience I shared the experience with. There's no judgment from me on that score, I laughed as loud as the best of them.
The first murder we enjoy is swift, but the effect lasts long and the understated humour of the act echoes some time later as Chris nonchalantly washes the remaining of the blood off his caravan wheel. His mild annoyance followed by a passing satisfaction at a job well done are precursors to the simmering rage that follows.
Sightseers doesn't skimp on the horror although director Ben Wheatley keeps the gore and actual violence to acceptable (for those with a strong stomach) levels. He has crafted some genuinely disturbing scenes that take their time building the anticipation until the inevitable and occasionally truly brutal conclusion arrives. There is one quick shot of a, um, demolished head that will have you reaching for a pause button to admire the make-up if nothing else.
But the joy of Sightseers is not in the moments of horror but in the consistency of the subtle humour from Osram's and Lowe's stinging screenplay as much as their chillingly dour performances. Their performances are never fanciful but frighteningly convincing and turn the stomach ever so slightly when one recalls brief interactions with similar characters in real life.
Sightseers invades the brain, it expulses laughter from the belly and at times it wriggles under the skin like white noise and scratches at the nerves. It isn't always easy to watch and the occasional quip is over-egged as if neither cast nor director were convinced it would work completely. It's a minor criticism and a great pity because whenever the dialogue and performances are restrained to levels of naturalism, and that occurs for a good 95% of the film, Sightseers flies. One of the funniest, non-violent moments occurs as Tina struggles to write a note with a six-foot pencil. It's a moment of genius that is allowed to play out in its own time and manner without a wink at the audience to tell us it is a good moment to laugh.
Wheatley's previous offering, 2011's Kill List, left me cold. It disturbed and annoyed in equal measures and Sightseers is a vast improvement. More than that, it's a standout film for the year and, though not quite on the humour plane of The Guard, it's the funniest film I've seen this year so far and has marked out Wheatley's follow up, A Field in England, as a film to look forward to in 2013.
After yesterday's battle with First Great Western trains and the threat of dark happenings in the company of caravanners, I think I'm going to stick to my car in future.
For more reviews from The Squiss subscribe to my blog at www.thesquiss.co.uk
Like the Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/RpitOG
- paultreloar75
- Dec 7, 2012
- Permalink
If you fell asleep after watching a double bill of Mike Leigh's Nuts in May and Terrence Malick's Badlands, you might wake up with the idea for Sightseers, the latest film from Ben Wheatley, acclaimed director of Down Terrace and Kill List. Alice Lowe and Steve Oram play Tina and Chris, a couple who head out on a caravan tour of Yorkshire's Peak District, taking in such points of interest as the Crich Tramway Museum, Ribblehead Viaduct and the Keswick Pencil Museum. But Chris harbours a secret: he is a serial killer, with a tendency for sudden, explosive outbursts which result in the violent deaths of random strangers who have crossed, or simply inconvenienced him in some way. When the none-too-bright Tina finally cottons onto the fact that Chris has murdered at least two people since their sightseeing holiday began, she faces a stark choice between returning alone to her overbearing mother, or continuing to accompany her barmy boyfriend on his murderous spree – the option of shopping him to the authorities apparently not occurring to her.
Sightseers was dreamed up by Lowe and Oram as a logical extension of characters they have played on stage for several years, and as a work of character observation, Tina and Chris feel as real as any created by Mike Leigh, using a similar kind of improvisational character workshopping with his repertoire of actors. Here, such is the strength of the principal characters – in particular, Tina's vividly-drawn and expertly-played mother – it feels like a failure of imagination, or even a cop-out, when the killings begin. If this was a throwaway British horror flick like The Cottage or Revenge of Billy the Kid, it wouldn't matter, but Wheatley is clearly capable of delivering something far more incisive than a slasher flick, and would perhaps do well to make a film where nobody gets tortured, mutilated or murdered. After all, it takes a great deal more skill to make films like those of Leigh and Joanna Hogg – writer-director of Unrelated and Archipelago, two achingly painful films about dysfunctional English families on holiday – in which nobody gets killed, but everybody hurts.
The widespread critical acclaim which greeted Wheatley's Kill List, which began like a Mike Leigh film and ended like The Wicker Man, will guarantee that Sightseers will garner a great deal of attention. Horror fans will no doubt delight in the bloody direction Wheatley's black comedy takes, laughing with glee as each new murder is carried out and excused, in increasingly episodic fashion, with diminishing returns, until an ending is suddenly decided upon, seemingly for no better reason than the feature-length clock has run out. On sober reflection, however, even the most ardent Sightseers fan might be given to admit that a lack of bloody murder never hurt Nuts in May, and Badlands wouldn't have been improved by being played for laughs. and, if they're being really honest, that there's nothing much in Sightseers that doesn't feel like warmed-up leftovers from The League of Gentlemen or Nighty Night – except, perhaps, for the enduring symbol of crap British holidays, the caravan.
Sightseers was dreamed up by Lowe and Oram as a logical extension of characters they have played on stage for several years, and as a work of character observation, Tina and Chris feel as real as any created by Mike Leigh, using a similar kind of improvisational character workshopping with his repertoire of actors. Here, such is the strength of the principal characters – in particular, Tina's vividly-drawn and expertly-played mother – it feels like a failure of imagination, or even a cop-out, when the killings begin. If this was a throwaway British horror flick like The Cottage or Revenge of Billy the Kid, it wouldn't matter, but Wheatley is clearly capable of delivering something far more incisive than a slasher flick, and would perhaps do well to make a film where nobody gets tortured, mutilated or murdered. After all, it takes a great deal more skill to make films like those of Leigh and Joanna Hogg – writer-director of Unrelated and Archipelago, two achingly painful films about dysfunctional English families on holiday – in which nobody gets killed, but everybody hurts.
The widespread critical acclaim which greeted Wheatley's Kill List, which began like a Mike Leigh film and ended like The Wicker Man, will guarantee that Sightseers will garner a great deal of attention. Horror fans will no doubt delight in the bloody direction Wheatley's black comedy takes, laughing with glee as each new murder is carried out and excused, in increasingly episodic fashion, with diminishing returns, until an ending is suddenly decided upon, seemingly for no better reason than the feature-length clock has run out. On sober reflection, however, even the most ardent Sightseers fan might be given to admit that a lack of bloody murder never hurt Nuts in May, and Badlands wouldn't have been improved by being played for laughs. and, if they're being really honest, that there's nothing much in Sightseers that doesn't feel like warmed-up leftovers from The League of Gentlemen or Nighty Night – except, perhaps, for the enduring symbol of crap British holidays, the caravan.
What happens when 2 un-complimentary psychopaths go on a holiday caravan adventure together? A whole lot of murder, apparently.
What starts off as an innocent vacation between two social outcasts- Chris & Tina- quickly takes a darker turn when it becomes clear that Chris is not only a manipulative psychopath, but someone who will resort to murder over the most petty of concerns.
Basically he'll murder anyone who annoys him. But he's gotten quite good at covering up his work and throwing the dogs off his scent.
After witnessing one of these outbursts first hand, Tina comes around and begins to embrace the ethos of her beloved. And once she pops her murder cherry, she starts to realize that she can use random violence and murder to manipulate others- particularly Chris- with the best of 'em, if not better.
This drives Chris mad. He thinks she's too chaotic- a liability even. She murders randomly, without the structured justification on which he bases his code. Though, really, she just murders anyone who crosses her, or whoever might arbitrarily be in the vicinity when she gets upset.
Like she did before him, though, Chris eventually comes around to accept Tina's new-found tendencies toward murder.
But it becomes ultimately clear that Tina has taken the upper hand when she discovers Chris' deepest, darkest fantasies- inevitably leading to the conclusion of the film.
Sightseers is another brilliant black comedy-horror concoction from the twisted mind of Ben Wheatley- who is proving himself to be one of the most exciting new director's out there (especially after his $30,000 masterpiece- A Field In England). This film is much in the same vein of his previous two features: Down Terrace and Kill List- though each are original in their own ways. There are some interesting sequences which reference satanism and dark shamans, that will have you pondering on the symbolic meaning. And I do believe I detected some Vertigo influences spun in there. When all is said and done, Sightseers is a darkly hilarious film that is definitely worth a watch.
6 out of 10.
What starts off as an innocent vacation between two social outcasts- Chris & Tina- quickly takes a darker turn when it becomes clear that Chris is not only a manipulative psychopath, but someone who will resort to murder over the most petty of concerns.
Basically he'll murder anyone who annoys him. But he's gotten quite good at covering up his work and throwing the dogs off his scent.
After witnessing one of these outbursts first hand, Tina comes around and begins to embrace the ethos of her beloved. And once she pops her murder cherry, she starts to realize that she can use random violence and murder to manipulate others- particularly Chris- with the best of 'em, if not better.
This drives Chris mad. He thinks she's too chaotic- a liability even. She murders randomly, without the structured justification on which he bases his code. Though, really, she just murders anyone who crosses her, or whoever might arbitrarily be in the vicinity when she gets upset.
Like she did before him, though, Chris eventually comes around to accept Tina's new-found tendencies toward murder.
But it becomes ultimately clear that Tina has taken the upper hand when she discovers Chris' deepest, darkest fantasies- inevitably leading to the conclusion of the film.
Sightseers is another brilliant black comedy-horror concoction from the twisted mind of Ben Wheatley- who is proving himself to be one of the most exciting new director's out there (especially after his $30,000 masterpiece- A Field In England). This film is much in the same vein of his previous two features: Down Terrace and Kill List- though each are original in their own ways. There are some interesting sequences which reference satanism and dark shamans, that will have you pondering on the symbolic meaning. And I do believe I detected some Vertigo influences spun in there. When all is said and done, Sightseers is a darkly hilarious film that is definitely worth a watch.
6 out of 10.
- meddlecore
- Oct 10, 2014
- Permalink
This is quite possibly the worst thing I have ever seen at the cinema if it hadn't have been for my friend I would have walked out! Something I have only done once before (Dukes of Hazzard was the first film if you were wondering).
The film is so unfunny it hurts. Acting is terrible the plot or lack thereof is just mind blowingly bad.
It such a depressing experience and I actually wanted to die as I watched it.
Stay AWAY!
If you want good black twisted comedy do yourself a favor and watch The League Of Gentleman or its sister show Psychoville.
The film is so unfunny it hurts. Acting is terrible the plot or lack thereof is just mind blowingly bad.
It such a depressing experience and I actually wanted to die as I watched it.
Stay AWAY!
If you want good black twisted comedy do yourself a favor and watch The League Of Gentleman or its sister show Psychoville.
- alecdeacon
- Dec 3, 2012
- Permalink
Against her lonely mum's wishes Tina, a nice but dim dog psychologist, joins her fellow Black Country lover Chris on an 'erotic odyssey' through Yorkshire. A romantic idea until we see that this amounts to bad weather, deserted heritage sites and caravan rumpy-pumpy. Oh, and wanton serial killing.
No one can doubt that such a bizarre set up is original, but writer-director Ben Wheatley's third feature chooses these details to form his central gag: Chris and Tina are about the most unlikely Bonnie and Clyde rip-offs imaginable. So, when innocents start to drop off, we're meant to laugh, not only at the brutality of the executions, but also at the constant reminder of who's committing them.
There are definitely some laughs in the black and dry comedy, and there's one brilliant sight gag featuring potpourri, but the central gag wears thin as the death toll mounts. Chris's bloodlust is down to his redundancy (I found this funny), yet Tina kills because she's no good as his muse and thinks it's what he wants from her. But of course this simply heightens Chris's insecurity. Chris calls Tina 'a negative person; a liability'.
The two ne'er-do-wells are played with brutal honesty by Leicestershire lad Steve Oram and Coventry's Alice Lowe (of 'Garth Marenghi' fame), but 'Sightseers' didn't feel like a complete experience. Something lacked. I suspect it was the plot itself. The jokes are well written, but suffer when spoken (nothing to do with the accent). The ending tries to be natural but seemed illogical, and far from being funny, I actually found it quite sad.
As much as I am enthused that this home-grown film exists and has received widespread acclaim, I didn't laugh anywhere near as much as I should have. 'Sightseers' is somewhat funny, not LOL - and whilst a far cry from unmissable, is just about worth watching.
No one can doubt that such a bizarre set up is original, but writer-director Ben Wheatley's third feature chooses these details to form his central gag: Chris and Tina are about the most unlikely Bonnie and Clyde rip-offs imaginable. So, when innocents start to drop off, we're meant to laugh, not only at the brutality of the executions, but also at the constant reminder of who's committing them.
There are definitely some laughs in the black and dry comedy, and there's one brilliant sight gag featuring potpourri, but the central gag wears thin as the death toll mounts. Chris's bloodlust is down to his redundancy (I found this funny), yet Tina kills because she's no good as his muse and thinks it's what he wants from her. But of course this simply heightens Chris's insecurity. Chris calls Tina 'a negative person; a liability'.
The two ne'er-do-wells are played with brutal honesty by Leicestershire lad Steve Oram and Coventry's Alice Lowe (of 'Garth Marenghi' fame), but 'Sightseers' didn't feel like a complete experience. Something lacked. I suspect it was the plot itself. The jokes are well written, but suffer when spoken (nothing to do with the accent). The ending tries to be natural but seemed illogical, and far from being funny, I actually found it quite sad.
As much as I am enthused that this home-grown film exists and has received widespread acclaim, I didn't laugh anywhere near as much as I should have. 'Sightseers' is somewhat funny, not LOL - and whilst a far cry from unmissable, is just about worth watching.
- dharmendrasingh
- Dec 21, 2012
- Permalink
Ben Wheatley provides one of the year's darkest and funniest comedies in this tale of true love, caravans and dead bodies.
Ever since her terrier Poppy died in a bizarre knitting accident, Tina (Darkplace's Alice Lowe) has lived a sheltered life with her mother. New boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram) decides to show her his world and takes her on a self-proclaimed "erotic odyssey" in his caravan to such wonders as the Crich Tramway Museum, Ribblehead Viaduct and, of course, Keswick Pencil Museum. But with litterbug, National Trust snobs and feral youths running rampant, Tina and Chris inadvertently leave a trail of dead bodies in their wake, as their holiday continues to spiral out of control.
Steve Oram heads up the fantastic cast as the muted, yet brutal, Chris, complementing Alice Lowe's awkward, yet creepy, Tina perfectly. However, the real star is the special effects, which provide some of the most realistic and memorable on screen deaths of the year. The unsettling, albeit hilarious, performances of the two leads is mirrored in the soundtrack, a mix of cheery '80s pop songs and a haunting minimalist score.
Shot in the beautiful Lake District, director Ben Wheatley uses lingering shots and slow-mo in an innovative way, making his comedy edgy whilst poignant. No doubt, this is a very British black comedy. Wheatley shows directorial flair, but reigns it in from his previous work Kill List, leading to a much tighter film, with a concentration on the biting wit of the script.
Sightseers, overall, plays out like a cross between Bonnie & Clyde and In Bruges, leading to a perfect pitch-black comedy that's not for the faint hearted.
Ever since her terrier Poppy died in a bizarre knitting accident, Tina (Darkplace's Alice Lowe) has lived a sheltered life with her mother. New boyfriend Chris (Steve Oram) decides to show her his world and takes her on a self-proclaimed "erotic odyssey" in his caravan to such wonders as the Crich Tramway Museum, Ribblehead Viaduct and, of course, Keswick Pencil Museum. But with litterbug, National Trust snobs and feral youths running rampant, Tina and Chris inadvertently leave a trail of dead bodies in their wake, as their holiday continues to spiral out of control.
Steve Oram heads up the fantastic cast as the muted, yet brutal, Chris, complementing Alice Lowe's awkward, yet creepy, Tina perfectly. However, the real star is the special effects, which provide some of the most realistic and memorable on screen deaths of the year. The unsettling, albeit hilarious, performances of the two leads is mirrored in the soundtrack, a mix of cheery '80s pop songs and a haunting minimalist score.
Shot in the beautiful Lake District, director Ben Wheatley uses lingering shots and slow-mo in an innovative way, making his comedy edgy whilst poignant. No doubt, this is a very British black comedy. Wheatley shows directorial flair, but reigns it in from his previous work Kill List, leading to a much tighter film, with a concentration on the biting wit of the script.
Sightseers, overall, plays out like a cross between Bonnie & Clyde and In Bruges, leading to a perfect pitch-black comedy that's not for the faint hearted.
- josh-thawley
- Jun 19, 2012
- Permalink
After being very impressed with Kill List and A Field In England, I am going through Ben Wheatley's work, High Rise while not spectacular was still enjoyable enough, and Sightseers was next on my list.
Starring Steve Oram and Alice Lowe as a couple (Chris and Tina) about to go on a caravanning holiday, Tina's elderly and overbearing mother doesn't want Tina going and is openly hostile to Chris, but they end up going anyway much to her annoyance.
As the holiday starts Chris is annoyed by an ignorant man littering, he points out the man's littering only to be rudely ignored, he ends up taking matters into his own hands particularly after seeing the man continually littering, almost as if to deliberately antagonize Chris, tragedy soon ensues, seemingly accidental, though Chris seems rather pleased with himself either way.
As the holiday goes on, more people start to irritate Chris, who continues to brand out justification for his subsequent homicidal actions and eventually Tina gets it on the action herself, some seemingly out of pure jealousy after Chris befriends an eccentric man with an unusual vehicle, and the pair seem hellbent on their mayhem and destructive behaviour.
This was an enjoyable film and while not brilliant was a good, solid watch with lots of entertaining moments, the couple, like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, are believable in their affections and jealousies, with some great dark humour and a good soundtrack to boot, Ben Wheatley has a thumbs up from me, and the acting, particularly from Oram, was top notch, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of his performances. Well worth a watch, particularly if you like Black comedy and low budget Britflicks.
7.5/10
Starring Steve Oram and Alice Lowe as a couple (Chris and Tina) about to go on a caravanning holiday, Tina's elderly and overbearing mother doesn't want Tina going and is openly hostile to Chris, but they end up going anyway much to her annoyance.
As the holiday starts Chris is annoyed by an ignorant man littering, he points out the man's littering only to be rudely ignored, he ends up taking matters into his own hands particularly after seeing the man continually littering, almost as if to deliberately antagonize Chris, tragedy soon ensues, seemingly accidental, though Chris seems rather pleased with himself either way.
As the holiday goes on, more people start to irritate Chris, who continues to brand out justification for his subsequent homicidal actions and eventually Tina gets it on the action herself, some seemingly out of pure jealousy after Chris befriends an eccentric man with an unusual vehicle, and the pair seem hellbent on their mayhem and destructive behaviour.
This was an enjoyable film and while not brilliant was a good, solid watch with lots of entertaining moments, the couple, like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde, are believable in their affections and jealousies, with some great dark humour and a good soundtrack to boot, Ben Wheatley has a thumbs up from me, and the acting, particularly from Oram, was top notch, and I'll be keeping an eye out for more of his performances. Well worth a watch, particularly if you like Black comedy and low budget Britflicks.
7.5/10
- beermonsteruk
- Feb 9, 2020
- Permalink
- candlesandtshirts
- Dec 26, 2013
- Permalink
When you think of all the millions of dollars invested into epic Hollywood blockbusters, then they turn out to be complete turkeys, you'll be heartened to know that there are still brilliant films being made on a fraction of the budget.
If Lord of the Rings was basically an advert for New Zealand's magnificent landscape, then Sightseers does the same job for the north of England. It's about your 'average' couple as they take their first holiday together, i.e. a romantic caravaning tour of the countryside. However, things soon start taking a turn for the worse and the dead bodies soon start piling up.
I won't go into too much detail about the plot. Some films are better that you know as little as possible about them. All you really need to know about Sightseers is that it comprises of the blackest of comedy around. The humour and tone is very dark indeed. If you think you can laugh at some characters with real human frailties, as they come to terms with each other and how they see life, then you should enjoy this.
It really is a true gem. Sadly Sightseers will never attain the dizzy heights of Hollywood's output, but it really deserves its place as a great British film.
If Lord of the Rings was basically an advert for New Zealand's magnificent landscape, then Sightseers does the same job for the north of England. It's about your 'average' couple as they take their first holiday together, i.e. a romantic caravaning tour of the countryside. However, things soon start taking a turn for the worse and the dead bodies soon start piling up.
I won't go into too much detail about the plot. Some films are better that you know as little as possible about them. All you really need to know about Sightseers is that it comprises of the blackest of comedy around. The humour and tone is very dark indeed. If you think you can laugh at some characters with real human frailties, as they come to terms with each other and how they see life, then you should enjoy this.
It really is a true gem. Sadly Sightseers will never attain the dizzy heights of Hollywood's output, but it really deserves its place as a great British film.
- bowmanblue
- Mar 24, 2015
- Permalink
Pulls from other movies for comic inspiration but does so in a way that is pleasing. Alice Lowe is great playing the down trodden daughter. Her lover is too. With Ben at the helm this was going to be different than other offerings in its genre.
- dennisalison
- Nov 7, 2019
- Permalink
This is genuinely one of the worst films i have ever seen. I was looking forward to watching this as the trailer gave it a good first impression. I hadn't even watched 45 minutes of the film and wanted to leave, the only thing that kept me there was the price of the ticket. The humour was non-existent and the plot was meaningless. I would not recommend this film to anybody, a definite 1/10! The only enjoyable moment of the film was when nobody speaks and all the viewer sees is a car and caravan driving through the hills. The ending was very disappointing and abrupt but i was happy when it did finish as the 88 minutes of pure rubbish that i had just seen felt like i had been sat there a day. Throughout the course of the film, 6 people decided to get up and leave which speaks for itself as the screen only had about 9 people in it at the beginning. I hope you save your money for a funnier film such as 'The Hobbit' (fantastic film). Happy Filming!
- abrannan-436-688959
- Dec 12, 2012
- Permalink
Sightseers is a black comedy that favours a few really good and highly quotable jokes over a constant stream of them. It's a suitably bleak depiction of a caravan holiday that goes wrong with a story of tainted love at its centre revolving around two people who truly bring out the worst in each other.
Alice Lowe and Steve Oram are a wonderful pairing as they constantly switch from being madly in love to literally at each other's throats. It's really impressive how quickly they can switch between the two and Alice Lowe in particular, is amazing at using a childlike innocence to hide the fact that she's got a real darkness inside.
Ben Wheatley's direction makes everything look bleak whilst still finding time for some more surreal dream sequences that fit in naturally. All the kills are executed in an unflinching fashion as they happen quickly and without warning, plus the soundtrack is surprisingly good with the songs employed in the most twisted ways.
Alice Lowe and Steve Oram are a wonderful pairing as they constantly switch from being madly in love to literally at each other's throats. It's really impressive how quickly they can switch between the two and Alice Lowe in particular, is amazing at using a childlike innocence to hide the fact that she's got a real darkness inside.
Ben Wheatley's direction makes everything look bleak whilst still finding time for some more surreal dream sequences that fit in naturally. All the kills are executed in an unflinching fashion as they happen quickly and without warning, plus the soundtrack is surprisingly good with the songs employed in the most twisted ways.
Nothing like a nice caravanning holiday in the country. Just a girl and her new boyfriend. What's that you say? Someone dropping litter on the floor? Let's run over them, and make it look like an accident. Now, how many pieces of toast would you like with your breakfast? Oh look... a new couple have just moved into our field. The bloke is a bit of a kn*b. Let's ambush him at night, bludgeon him with a stone and nick his dog. Banjo is such a stupid name, isn't it? I know... Let's rechristen him Poppy. That's better. GOOD BOY!! Oops, he's just crapped on the grass... and some loud mouthed posh twit is telling me to pick it up. He shouldn't have done that...
Yep, it's your classic black comedy... Where killing people who irritate you is just a minor inconvenience between days out at the Rail Exhibition or Pencil Factory. You have to possess a certain level of warped perspective to appreciate just how funny this is... and fortunately, my taste for the macabre is off the scale. It's even better later on, as the lady seeks to emulate her serial murderer beau... only to be shouted down, for 'doing it all wrong'. You see... he KNOWS which humans need to be 'dealt with'... she doesn't. He's been doing this sort of thing for a lot longer, ya see. So there's a lover's tiff about who deserves to die. Things don't get much more surreal than that.
Be careful if you go down to the woods today. There may be more than just teddy bears to contend with... 7/10
Yep, it's your classic black comedy... Where killing people who irritate you is just a minor inconvenience between days out at the Rail Exhibition or Pencil Factory. You have to possess a certain level of warped perspective to appreciate just how funny this is... and fortunately, my taste for the macabre is off the scale. It's even better later on, as the lady seeks to emulate her serial murderer beau... only to be shouted down, for 'doing it all wrong'. You see... he KNOWS which humans need to be 'dealt with'... she doesn't. He's been doing this sort of thing for a lot longer, ya see. So there's a lover's tiff about who deserves to die. Things don't get much more surreal than that.
Be careful if you go down to the woods today. There may be more than just teddy bears to contend with... 7/10
- natashabowiepinky
- Jan 17, 2014
- Permalink
I enjoyed this for the most part. It has moments of humour that everyone will chuckle at as well as some moments that only people with the darkest, driest sense of humour will understand.
It would be easy to assume this is similar in tone to Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, but it isn't. It has an extremely dark, uncomfortable atmosphere almost throughout and this will put some people off. I feel if this film were any longer it would be hard to sit through.
Two things that put me off slightly was the hand-held camera work. It depleted the sense of isolation in some scenes and would have been more effective if the camera was locked down. Another thing was the ending. Without giving anything away, the ending was lazy on the writers' part and made almost no sense.
All in all though, I would recommend this film to anyone who gets British humour and likes quirky, dark comedy.
It would be easy to assume this is similar in tone to Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, but it isn't. It has an extremely dark, uncomfortable atmosphere almost throughout and this will put some people off. I feel if this film were any longer it would be hard to sit through.
Two things that put me off slightly was the hand-held camera work. It depleted the sense of isolation in some scenes and would have been more effective if the camera was locked down. Another thing was the ending. Without giving anything away, the ending was lazy on the writers' part and made almost no sense.
All in all though, I would recommend this film to anyone who gets British humour and likes quirky, dark comedy.
- samlloydpresents
- Feb 19, 2016
- Permalink
With the first part of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit just around the corner, it's perfect time for Ben Wheatley's Sightseers, which depicts a similarly idyllic pastoral Shire. Except this one is splashed in brains. A follow-up to the unrelentingly grim Kill List, Sightseers is another social-realist slant on an existing genre, this time the whimsical road movie.
PM David Cameron might want a British film industry that churns out pseudo-Hollywood blockbusters, but as a nation glamour isn't our creative currency - we're at our best when examining the inherent crapness of things. Even Bond has to slum it with a wireless these days.
Chris and Tina (played by comedians Steve Oram and Alice Lowe, who also wrote the film) are Bonnie and Clyde and Withnail and I, roaming the British countryside, visiting pencil museums and tram museums, violently murdering litterbugs and Daily Mail readers. It sounds dark and it is, but it's also very funny: each killing is relevant to the killer only the context of Chris and Tina's hermetically sealed relationship; any remorse is in the context of how upsets the other. Morality and legality don't get a glimpse.
So in a way it's a one-joke skit, but it's a joke with legs, leading the despicable duo across some stunning British locations, from suburbia to highland, via nightmarish montages, all to an unsettling soundtrack consisting of John Carpenter synth, '80s pop, and '60s psychedelic rock.
With Wheatley and Andrea Arnold, whose recent adaptation of Wuthering Heights was a brilliantly aimed punch to the ribs of the period drama, we have a duo of international-quality filmmakers following the lead of Shane Meadows in making intelligent and caustic underbelly films about Britain for Britons; a creative, anti-Establishment tradition that carries the baton of Mike Leigh, Ken Loach and Alan Clarke, and which always seems most vital under a Tory government presiding over a recessive homeland.
PM David Cameron might want a British film industry that churns out pseudo-Hollywood blockbusters, but as a nation glamour isn't our creative currency - we're at our best when examining the inherent crapness of things. Even Bond has to slum it with a wireless these days.
Chris and Tina (played by comedians Steve Oram and Alice Lowe, who also wrote the film) are Bonnie and Clyde and Withnail and I, roaming the British countryside, visiting pencil museums and tram museums, violently murdering litterbugs and Daily Mail readers. It sounds dark and it is, but it's also very funny: each killing is relevant to the killer only the context of Chris and Tina's hermetically sealed relationship; any remorse is in the context of how upsets the other. Morality and legality don't get a glimpse.
So in a way it's a one-joke skit, but it's a joke with legs, leading the despicable duo across some stunning British locations, from suburbia to highland, via nightmarish montages, all to an unsettling soundtrack consisting of John Carpenter synth, '80s pop, and '60s psychedelic rock.
With Wheatley and Andrea Arnold, whose recent adaptation of Wuthering Heights was a brilliantly aimed punch to the ribs of the period drama, we have a duo of international-quality filmmakers following the lead of Shane Meadows in making intelligent and caustic underbelly films about Britain for Britons; a creative, anti-Establishment tradition that carries the baton of Mike Leigh, Ken Loach and Alan Clarke, and which always seems most vital under a Tory government presiding over a recessive homeland.
I'd love to go to a pencil museum! Even with a bearded ginger bloke dealing with some serious anger issues.
Although I'd draw the line at wearing knitted undies including split-crotch panties. That's obviously more appropriate for the Tate Modern.
The mature part of me sympathises with the erstwhile Robin from Marian & Her Merry Men (bit of a niche reference there) getting his head smashed in for complaining about their leaving dog poo behind. As a responsible dog walker I loathe people who don't clean up after their Woofs.
The film nerd in me spots the similarity with Steve Oram brutally wielding a hefty stick and the early ape-man making a huge leap forwards in 2001: A Space Odyssey. "He's not a person, he's a Daily Mail reader." Chris justifying his oh-so-English brand of vigilantism.
The mature part of me sympathises with the erstwhile Robin from Marian & Her Merry Men (bit of a niche reference there) getting his head smashed in for complaining about their leaving dog poo behind. As a responsible dog walker I loathe people who don't clean up after their Woofs.
The film nerd in me spots the similarity with Steve Oram brutally wielding a hefty stick and the early ape-man making a huge leap forwards in 2001: A Space Odyssey. "He's not a person, he's a Daily Mail reader." Chris justifying his oh-so-English brand of vigilantism.
- goldenarrow-99823
- Aug 20, 2018
- Permalink
Sightseers is a British comedy (which swiftly transforms into a thriller) directed by Ben Wheatley. Also, the comedic value is provided by the almost overly comedic murders, which occur more and more as the film progresses.
Moreover, the film is based on the lives of Chris and Tina, two Birmingham lovers which both have particularly strange life. As, Tina's life is dominated by her mother, depending on her constantly. And, the death of her pet dog, Poppy, who was treated as royalty by Tina and her mother.
However, when Chris wishes to show Tina his world, which centers on caravanning and killings based on a sick and twisted moral code, shown by his first killing of a man, simply for dropping litter and not picking it up.
Also, as the story continues, Chris begins to realize he has created a monster in Tina, by showing her the violent combination of love and murder. As, she begins to try to impress Chris with constant murders, hoping to win him over with them. However, did Tina know this holiday would be a one way journey?
Finally, if you are a lover of dark and mysterious films with a complex story line, then I would strongly recommend you watching this film. And for such a low budget, Wheatley has done amazingly to create such a complex film.
Moreover, the film is based on the lives of Chris and Tina, two Birmingham lovers which both have particularly strange life. As, Tina's life is dominated by her mother, depending on her constantly. And, the death of her pet dog, Poppy, who was treated as royalty by Tina and her mother.
However, when Chris wishes to show Tina his world, which centers on caravanning and killings based on a sick and twisted moral code, shown by his first killing of a man, simply for dropping litter and not picking it up.
Also, as the story continues, Chris begins to realize he has created a monster in Tina, by showing her the violent combination of love and murder. As, she begins to try to impress Chris with constant murders, hoping to win him over with them. However, did Tina know this holiday would be a one way journey?
Finally, if you are a lover of dark and mysterious films with a complex story line, then I would strongly recommend you watching this film. And for such a low budget, Wheatley has done amazingly to create such a complex film.
- Calmelbo-103-450452
- Sep 10, 2014
- Permalink
After watching the trailer the film looked really good, well that was a very misleading trailer. I found that the film was very poor indeed, the plot was non existent and the characters were not even funny. I don't understand how all the critics gave it such good reviews. Maybe its just me, but I have to say this is one of the worst films I have ever seen. It was on par with The Keith Lemon Movie, which was dreadful as well. The scenery was the only good part of the film. People in our theatre walked out about 15 minutes in. The group I was in while watching this film, we kept looking at each other wondering if we should walk out and leave. Most of us just kept looking at our watches, hoping it would end soon. The film is 88 minutes long, it felt almost 6 hours in that theatre! I would not recommend this film to anyone!
- james-67-118290
- Dec 14, 2012
- Permalink
Tina and Chris on the road. Caravan behind being towed. Incident on a tram. An unfortunate ram. Due to litter incongruously stowed
Tina and Chris on the road. Caravan in front being towed. An unfortunate fall. Calamitous sprawl. The price for being rather high browed
Tina and Chris at the pub. Quiet drink and a spot of pub grub. Over she goes. A splash as she throws. All because of the smallest of snubs.
Tina and Chris on a ramble. A pleasant countryside amble. Ends with a bludgeon. Hefty wooden truncheon. Locking horns with the pair is a gamble.
Tina upfront, Chris in bed. A cyclist appears up ahead. After brakes are applied. There's a body to hide. Road rage satisfied and duly fed.
Tina and Chris sit with Martin. He's unconventional and quite spartan. He'll soon meet his god. In his coffin like pod. But Chris will be irked and disheartened.
Tina and Chris viaduct. Preparing to be jointly plucked. A hell of a ride. The pair side by side. An outstanding black comical construct.
Tina and Chris on the road. Caravan in front being towed. An unfortunate fall. Calamitous sprawl. The price for being rather high browed
Tina and Chris at the pub. Quiet drink and a spot of pub grub. Over she goes. A splash as she throws. All because of the smallest of snubs.
Tina and Chris on a ramble. A pleasant countryside amble. Ends with a bludgeon. Hefty wooden truncheon. Locking horns with the pair is a gamble.
Tina upfront, Chris in bed. A cyclist appears up ahead. After brakes are applied. There's a body to hide. Road rage satisfied and duly fed.
Tina and Chris sit with Martin. He's unconventional and quite spartan. He'll soon meet his god. In his coffin like pod. But Chris will be irked and disheartened.
Tina and Chris viaduct. Preparing to be jointly plucked. A hell of a ride. The pair side by side. An outstanding black comical construct.
- Prismark10
- Jan 6, 2014
- Permalink
I was so disappointed with this, I love black comedy's but this was terrible the only reason I watched it was because at the time it had a 7.1 score, I don't know how it got that, poor unoriginal story that's been overdone, unlikable characters and its not funny, without a doubt an epic fail, it's one of those films you get the feeling it was either release it to try and make money but add a bad movie to your name or can it and take the losses. If you enjoy watching freaks acting like freaks then fair dues you will probably like it but if you are looking for a good black comedy you will be seriously disappointed, I couldn't believe this was from the dude who done Shaun of the dead ( its a bit of a disgrace to mention it on the advert/cover for this film/freak show) one of those films that's so bad it makes me angry i wasted my time watching it lol
- leah-wilkes
- Jul 4, 2013
- Permalink