Director: Ben Wheatley
Starring: Eileen Davies, Alice Lowe, Steve Oram
Running Time: 88 minutes
Certificate: 15
Extras: Behind The Scenes, Outtakes, Trailers
How does Ben Wheatley follow KILL LIST (2011), a debut as bleak as a George Osbourne budget? With a black comedy about a holidaying couple with a penchant for murder of course. Co-starring and written by Steve Oram and Alice Lowe, SIGHTSEERS follows new couple Chris (Oram) and Tina (Lowe) as they caravan around the UK stopping off for the odd bit of homicide.
SIGHTSEERS brilliance comes from its script: Oram, Lowe and contributor Amy Jump build the lead characters through Tina’s relationship with her Mother (Davies) very early on. From here they can take Tina and Chris down many muddy paths, atop many hills and into numerous caravan parks, but what they do best is make you care. Given the actions of the pair through the film it would be far easier for the viewer to despair, throw their arms up and bellow ‘comedy or not, they are murderers’,but the script makes this impossible. Through each stage of the pairs relationship we empathise with them, and get swallowed up in their very real relationship. Sure it gets a bit silly at times but this is a comedy after all.
Wheatley continues his visual style crafted on KILL LIST, capturing the Lake District in all its considerable beauty, and slowing the action to full effect. He also utilises a fantastic retro soundtrack adding to the atmosphere and feel of the film.
SIGHTSEERS isn’t a complete success, there is a worrying lull at 40-55 minutes from which it looks set never to recover, and Chris’s negativity grates a little – particularly during an encounter with a walker which contradicts his stance at the beginning of the film. But to pick this up and let it worry you would be to miss the greatness of most around it.
Made with style, lots of laughs and even more heart, SIGHTSEERS is Wheatley’s second gem. Don’t worry though, you shouldn’t need therapy after watching this one!
Extras: An excellent behind the scenes running in excess of 30 minutes is essential for fans of the movie. This is padded out by trailers and some humorous outtakes.
SIGHTSEERS is available on Blu-ray and DVD from 25th March via Studio Canal
