[soliloquy id=”7970″]
If horror-comedy is your thing, The Cottage, directed by Paul Andrew Williams, will be right up your street.
I’m not usually the biggest fan of horror-comedies. Silly humor doesn’t amuse me, but the dark and dry humor of The Cottage definitely kept me entertained.
David (Andy Serkis- Rise & Dawn of the Apes, The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring) and his brother Peter (Reece Shearsmith- Shawn of the Dead), are second-rate criminals who are eager to make some big bucks. David convinces his brother to help him kidnap Tracey (Jennifer Ellison- The Phantom of the Opera), the stepdaughter of local gangster Arnie (Steven Berkhoff- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, A Clockwork Orange). The men stand to gain 100,000 GBP, which would mean that Peter could buy David’s half of their deceased mother’s house; and David could buy a boat and finally leave everything behind.
With the help of Arnie’s dumb and lazy son, Andrew (Steven O’Donnell- Conan the Barbarian, A Knight’s Tale), he and Peter kidnap Tracey and demand a hefty ransom for her safe return. Unfortunately, Tracey puts up more of a fight than the brothers anticipated and things begin to go from bad to much, much worse.
Not only are they now worried of Arnie and his gang coming after them, but they soon find out that the owner of the supposed abandoned cottage where they’re holed up turns out to be a hideously deformed lunatic with a bad temper, and a hatred for trespassers.
The acting is solid all the way around, but Serkis in undeniably the star of this film. The perfect angry gangster with a heart. He’s one of those actors that can transform himself and slip effortlessly into any role. The banter between him and Reece Shearsmith is brilliant. Ellison is great as the aggressive tough, rich girl, and her body is more than a lot to look at.
Gore lovers should be elated as The Cottage brings some cringe-inducing scenes of bodily mutilation by way of a shovel, machete, pick axe, and more. I would definitely recommend it for fans of both horror, and comedy.
WICKED RATING: 6.5/10 [usr 6.5]
Title: The Cottage
Director(s): Paul Andrew Williams
Writer(s): Paul Andrew Williams
Stars: Andy Serkis, Reece Shearsmith, Jennifer Ellison
Year: 2008
Studio/ Production Co: Isle of Man Film, UK Film Council, Screen Yorkshire
Budget: $2,500,000 (estimated)
Language: English
Length: 92mins
Sub-Genre: Comedy, Crime
