DVD Release
The horror comedy is nothing new so I’m not going to bore you about when it started and blah blah blah but I am going to say this…the recent rash of horror comedies that have hit the genre lately have been top notch. Not only have some of them really kicked ass but they’re coming out of the U.K.! I know I know…some of you are shocked, right? I’m just as shocked as you because for the longest time the U.K. really wasn’t contributing much. Sorry chaps but you weren’t!
I think like Italy, after their heyday faded they just stopped caring which is a shame because the genre has seen some amazing stuff come out of the U.K.. Fact is Hammer, one of the U.K.’s best contributions, influences filmmakers and fans alike to this very day! Now that’s staying power!
I’d say in the last 6 years we’ve really seen a jump in U.K. horror and I love every minute of it. From Shaun of the Dead to The Descent, U.K. horror has really made a comeback. Severance is no exception to this. Writer/director Christopher Smith (Creep) not only delivers an exciting little fright film but there’s comedy too! Now don’t expect hilarious slapstick or anything like that because it really wasn’t that type of comedy, it’s more…real life humor. Trust me, when you see it you’ll know what I mean.
Multi-national weapons manufacturer Palisade Defense has been doing good…very good. War is up, profits are up. The Palisades team is sent out on a team building weekend trip in order to boost morale and encourage growth. Seems interesting enough but a complication arises when their travel route is blocked by some fallen trees. The coach driver declines to use an alternate route and words between the driver and team manager Richard (Tim McInnerny) are exchanged forcing the whole lot to get booted from the bus and walk the alternate route themselves all the way to the lodge.
Upon arrival none of the team is really all that positive the ramshackle home is where they’re actually supposed to be but they all decide to stay just in case it is. One of the workers, Harris, discovers a bundle of Palisade Defense documents that indicate somebody from the company may have been there. Defense industry urban legends are traded about what the house might have been used for but only one story rings true…this home may have been a war criminal detention center used to house murderous soldiers.
Could they all be in danger?
Who cares! They’ve got drugs, friends and a suspicious pie to keep them company and they plan to make the best of it! They all look forward to a little rest, relaxation and some serious teamwork on the paintball battlefield. There is somebody out there in the forest watching them though…somebody waiting patiently for the right time to strike.
A few of the team decide to head out in search of a better cellphone signal but they’ll discover more than they bargained for!
Severance is a decent movie. It won’t shock you, it won’t be setting any precedents nor would I even go so far as to say it’ll be remembered fifteen years from now. What it does have is entertainment value and that ladies and gentlemen is what it’s all about! The comedy never goes “over the top” nor does it really hinder the horror aspects, in my opinion it all worked together quite nicely.
I also believe those that look deeper may also find that ever present socio-political commentary horror fans are always hearing about. After all, this is a movie about a bunch of people that help fuel the war machine and that opens the door for a whole hell of a lot of “something to say.” There are some seriously ironic death sequences that allow one to connect whatever particular dots they’re interested in connecting.
The acting was fantastic and the comedy well timed. I was really digging Danny Dyer’s performance as Steve, the goofball druggie fuck up. I should also mention Laura Harris of “The Dead Zone” and “Dead Like Me” is a freakin’ hottie.
I think a lot of people that have seen Creep are wondering whether Christopher Smith has stepped up his game and I’d have to say yes. I did enjoy Creep but it felt dry and emotionless, thankfully he seems to have understood the need for a bit more humanity in his characters. Sorry Potente fans but she was a goddamn android in Creep.
As I stated above, Severance isn’t offering up anything new and you may even guess correctly who lives and who dies, that doesn’t negate the fact that the film was fun though. There’s quite a few “laugh out loud” moments and I was never bored.
This Special Edition release was packed with cool extras including commentary, deleted scene with commentary, a making of featurette, a special effects featurette, outtakes and alternate ending and more! I’m fairly positive this’ll be on its way to the U.S., I just hope it doesn’t take as long as The Decent, Creep and Shaun of the Dead. I’m also praying to the horror gods that 20th Century Fox gives us the same kind of extras packed release. We occasionally get ripped on these overseas releases.
Solid flick, big entertainment. Check it out when it drops.
