SEVERANCE
****1/2 out of *****

Reviewed by Stevie McCleary

Screening in the 2007 New Zealand International Film Festival
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Genres
Comedy
Horror

2006
Directed by
Christopher Smith
Written by
Christopher Smith and James Moran
Cast
Toby Stephens - Harris
Claudie Blakley - Jill
Andy Nyman - Gordon
Babou Ceesay - Billy
Tim McInnerny - Richard
Laura Harris - Maggie
Danny Dyer - Steve

When horror began its comeback with the arrival of Scream, there was a brief resurgence of originality followed by lots of blithering crap. But every once in a while you would get films that deliver maybe not a wholly original experience but an entirely enjoyable one. Severance, baby. It’s good times, had by all…except its characters. Just the way it should be.

Referred to as a cross between The Office and Deliverance, Severance depicts a group of office workers going for a team-building weekend out at a deserted lodge in the woods of Eastern Europe. Sounds fairly standard, yes? From there the viewer is treated in many ways, from out of the blue humour to disgusting horror. It’s hard to predict where the trail will lead as the co-workers slowly start getting picked off by…I’ll leave that to you. The thing about this film is; you don’t want to ruin too much for anybody. The joy is in how it plays out. But let’s just say they manage to work in a spider, a flame thrower, paintball, and a rocket launcher. I’m leaving my favourite thing out too, as mentioning it would cause you to see it coming before its time.

Owing much (in my opinion) to Shaun of the Dead and its style, Severance is over-the-top and wildly unpredictable. It plays with the conventions of the genre in a delightful fashion and revels in it. If it sounds like I’m a huge fan of this film, then spare me this guilty pleasure. It’s been a while since a movie has caused me to laugh and cringe so suddenly…and I mean that in the most complimentary fashion. If you enjoyed films like the aforementioned Shaun of the Dead then this will give you a great night of entertainment. I mean it has the actor who played Percy on Blackadder! That right there should be enough reason to check it out, as he does a wonderful job of bringing his style of humour on strong without hitting the campy mark. The rest of the cast do a fine job as well, especially Claudie Blakely as Jill, who does a very impressive job in the various scenarios she’s presented with. The film is packed with allusions to other films and its fun picking them as you go. Its obvious how much the cast and crew had a fun experience making it.
With a top notch cast alongside a very competent script that most definitely keeps you on your toes, its fun for the whole family…at least the family members with a strong constitution. It’s tremendously fun from ‘go’ to ‘whoa’. I heartily recommend.

This film will screen in Wellington at The Paramount on July 27 at 9:45pm and at The Embassy Theatre on July 29 at 5:00pm.

Please refer to the Film Fest homepage for more information on screenings in other parts of the country

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