Say Your Prayers (2020) User Reviews

praying for ACT 2 and 3

[ferguson-6 · 5/10 · 1 April 2021]

Greetings again from the darkness. The brothers have chosen to accept the mission they've been given, which is to assassinate outspoken atheist writer, Professor John Huxley. The deed is to be done during the Ilkley Literature Festival where Huxley is a featured speaker. Brothers Victor and Tim are Christian radicals, and not particularly clever. In fact, the terrific opening sequence shows us an execution on a hill - one that displays the tragic effects of mistaken identity.

Writer-director Harry Michell (he played Nick in YESTERDAY, 2019) and co-writer Jamie Fraser (his first feature film) deliver a strong first act that really gets our hopes up. Tom Brooke (PIRATE RADIO, 2009) plays Victor, the high-strung older brother to Tim, who is played by ski cap-wearing Harry Melling (the "Harry Potter" franchise). Victor is prone to violent outbursts, while Tim is the more sensitive type - and a bit slow at times. That contrast between the brothers is a fun element, as is the close bond they share.

Director Michell utilizes a recurring men's choir (breaking the fourth wall) as a way to both drive the story and add a bit of humor. In the first half-hour, the two most obvious comparisons we make are THE BOONDOCK SAINTS (1999) and IN BRUGES (2008). Unfortunately, that's a standard that the film simply can't sustain. It seems to be filled with any number of promising ideas that mostly just fizzle or fade out. A perfect example is the dynamic between the two investigative cops played by Anna Maxwell Martin and Flora Spencer-Longhurst. The banter between these two characters is just never quite as colorful or pointed as we wish.

The supporting cast includes Vinette Robinson as Imelda, one of the festivals organizers who has a close relationship with Professor Huxley. Imelda's time with Tim works well at times. Roger Allum effectively portrays the arrogant atheist author, and Derek Jacobi plays Father Enoch, the priest who raised the two orphans, Tim and Victor, and now has them doing the church's dirty work. The real standout here is the film's editing by Xanna Ward Dixon and Dylan Holmes Williams. The pacing and quick cuts keep us engaged and minimize the shortcomings of the story ... which certainly could have worked with more risk-taking and pushing of the envelope. Not going far enough is film's downfall - and it's quite disappointing given the promising start.

In theaters and On Demand April 2, 2021.

Stunning and Brave

[uptnogud · 1/10 · 9 July 2021]

The only way for this story to make sense was to make it about Islam, but as the creators are, like most in the West, happy to settle for being sarcastic cowards, they've gone at Christianity, with no risk involved.

Also features a white cop who assumes a black official is a cleaning lady and another male official who divorces wife to marry a man, all the while the supposed black cleaning lady goes out of her way to be friendly with a mentally deficient man. You couldn't make this stuff up. But they did.

One point for keeping it in focus.

Preaching to the Choir

[aethomson · 7/10 · 2 June 2021]

People can get things wrong. And people who are quite sure they're right can get things completely wrong. Beware the certainties of dogma. Roger Allam portrays a public atheist who sounds a bit like Richard Dawkins - except that he brings along some unappetising character flaws. Derek Jacobi is Father Enoch, a cleric who has decided that his God wants to suspend one of His own Commandments (number six, concerning homicide as you may recall). The end justifies the means.

Father Enoch has devoted about twenty years to bringing up two brothers who were abandoned when they were small children: Vic (Tom Brooke) and Tim (Harry Melling). Now he has an important assignment for his boys to do (it's the work of the Lord). Vic looks like he's cut out for this sort of thing, but Tim seems to lack the linear moral clarity of an effective fanatic - and maybe he's not very bright. If this is a story about one character, then that character is Tim, a lamb in wolf-world.

They go to work. But small mistakes can have unfortunate consequences. Now it looks as if the assignment is going to be more challenging than originally planned. The police are aware of death threats and are taking the usual precautions to protect Prof Huxley (Allam) at the Ilkley Literature Festival (yes, Ilkley, a town in Yorkshire, really does do these get-togethers for lit-lovers). Two guys of "middle-eastern" appearance have turned up to hear the keynote speaker - better keep an eye on them...

Life can be a muddle of sweet and sweat, pathos and pathetic, cliche and claptrap, hypocrisy and hypothetical, love and lewd. But will all these elements play together nicely to make a movie? Jamie Fraser (writer) and Harry Michell (writer and director) give it their best shot (some very nice touches, and also ingenious twists and turns), and they depend on the audience to not get too fidgety about how they're supposed to feel - is this tragedy, or comedic? We've seen plenty of work-worn cops on the screen (Anna Maxwell Martin on this occasion), but a splendid male choir - now that's different, and it really adds its own dimension of commentary to this film.

Change one character to make this great

[a_mobbs · 7/10 · 5 May 2021]

Enjoyed this film, an unusual plot and some great visual twists.

The film was spoiled for me by DCI Brough (Anna Maxwell) and the rather crude, northern lass attitude which seemed to be out of touch with the rest of the film. It became cringingly annoying, which is a shame as the storyline and other roles were spot on. With a different persona from Brough this could have been a better film.

Doesn't spare anybody

[sergepesic · 7/10 · 2 October 2022]

Rural Yorkshire, literary festival, two bumbling Christan hitmen, obnoxious snob who happens to be an atheist, innocent victim, foul-mouthed detective, a whole of lot of ingredients that shouldn't mix in together, but somehow do. Quirky, eccentric short flick peppered with a Capella singing, thick accents, dozens of creative turns (some working out, some fail miserably). It is hard not to get taken in by this unexpected dark comedy that doesn't spare anybody. Churchy, hateful fanatics and pompous money grabbing drawing room atheists belong to the same sewer of use and abuse. Dark comedy it is, and it ends on a dark note. Depressing, but fitting.

Totally unpredictable quirky gem

[ckitching-07643 · 10/10 · 14 August 2021]

Definitely no spoilers here, I don't want to ruin the unfolding plot. I'm giving it 10/10 but if you don't genuinely like the 'genre' (quirky but edgy black comedy with some violence and some obscene humour) then don't complain.

Every character in this film is excellent. This comedy is quite dark, shocking at times, and there are really thought-provoking scenes and conversations intermixed with the humour.

Watch it...

Entertaining for a low budget film

[Vindelander · 7/10 · 29 January 2022]

I enjoyed it as the story is quirky with an excellent cast and there is plenty of dry humour as well. The brothers are excellent and with Anna Maxwell Martin, Roger Allam and Derek Jacobi adding weight it's a fine lineup.

What I found intensely annoying was the frequent and incongruous insertion of a male voice choir in a lot of scenes. Totally unnecessary and really detracted from the whole production imo.

Certainly worth watching.

To mock religious people, my favorite hobby.

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 24 December 2021]

As a convinced atheist I have to say I did enjoy this movie, which made it easier for me as the story is about religious freaks, and making fun of them is something I truly enjoy. It's so easy to make fun of religious people (it doesn't matter which religion, you will find complete brainwashed people in all of them) and the makers of Say Your Prayers totally got that. The story is certainly satirical and that's what made it good. The acting was good from almost the entire cast. I have to agree with another reviewer that wasn't thrilled by the performance of Anna Maxwell that played the character of DCI Brough. I also thought she was very annoying to watch. It brought the quality of this movie down. But other than that, Say Your Prayers is certainly worth a watch, especially if you don't have a high opinion of all those religious freaks that populate our planet.

Smart Dark Satire

[billcr12 · 7/10 · 12 December 2021]

Here is a film with a dark sense of humor. An atheist writer named Huxley(I get it), is obviously based on the late writer Christopher Hitchens, a notorious critic of religion. God is Not Great is an excellent book, even for us agnostic Catholics out here. Two brothers are sent on a mission to silence the heretical writer and the result is a smart and funny movie. The cast is top notch and I highly recommend Say Your Prayers.

Quirky and dark

[samba-97913 · 7/10 · 26 February 2023]

I had to watch, if only to find out which atheist writer was being satirized, Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens. Hitchens, it turns out. First, the actor looks like Hitchens. The clincher is that the character Huxley's book is called "God Is Awful," and Hitchens's book is called "God Is Not Great." The character captures Hitchens's arrogance pretty well, but his cynicism doesn't. I simply can't imagine Hitchens being willing to shoot somebody for the publicity. Hitchens's beef was more with religious institutions and leaders than with followers.

I agree with others that there were a couple of big distractions in the film: the detective, who seemed like a caricature, and the men's choir. Was that meant to allude to Greek tragedy? Who knows?

Aims, shoot, scores.

[jesusiscominh · 10/10 · 17 April 2023]

I read another review asking why they didnt go after Islam instead of Christianity, and so, im writing this one.

Its a good look at rural Yorkshire life and how bumbling and incompetent everyone is its not mawkish or sentimental "Say your Prayers" follows some grumpy old police lady to track down some right pillocks after doing something right stupid - I imagine our American cousins would not get the Yorkshire stereotypes of being crude and honest, nor do I think they will understand that a comedy can be subtle, quiet and reserved.

Perfect for a quiet night in with a cup of tea and an electric blanket. Wont make you laugh, wont make you cry, but made me feel very cosy.