This year’s Arrow Video FrightFest First Blood strand is potentially one of the most diverse programming of the selections since it began. The five films that are screening range from a coming-of-age werewolf tale (Are We Monsters), a social drama with a hint of vampirism (Boy # 5), a demonic chiller (The Last Rite), a woodland-trapped collapse of a relationship (Bring Out the Fear), to a comedy horror about serial killers (When the Screaming Starts). The tone, which shifts from film to film, embraces all facets of genre film, and with each offering having its own unique voice, it makes for one of the strongest selections in years too. Their order of screening has been carefully curated, each title will be screened at their optimal time of day with When the Screaming Starts, the film that has the most potential to be a crowd-pleasing, having claimed the prime time spot.
Co-written and directed by Conor Boru, When the Screaming Starts tells the story of an odd young man called Aidan (played by the half of the writing team Ed Hartland), an aspiring serial killer and the subject of documentary filmmaker Norman Graysmith (Jared Rogers). During the course of the documentary Aidan decides that being a serial killer on your own isn’t any fun and begins enlisting like-minded people in his cause. The results of which are deadly.
From it’s opening Bond style titles featuring black cats, skulls, and flames set to a rousing rock song, When the Screaming Starts has its own noticeably different sense of style. Told in the mockumentary format, Boru does everything he can to celebrate the British roots of the piece. This film is British to its core, from its passive aggressive characters to its drab locales, there’s something undeniably English to the whole affair. In leaning into these stereotypes, Boru is able to squeeze maximum laughs with several observations so spot on that it’s near impossible not to let out a belly chuckle or two. Many may see mockumentary and think What We Do in the Shadows, but given its strong sense of Britishness, it more closely resembles Luke Ibbetson’s Cult.
When the Screaming Starts manages to traverse that tricky line that makes comedy horrors so daunting. Boru sticks much closer to the comedy side of things, but the subject matter being explored, and a more drama-led finale, are plenty to fill the horror quota. There’s something about the humour and how it is delivered that shares some of the magic of former FrightFest title Double Date and those who have seen that film will understand how fun it is. Some of the humour comes from left field. One such example is a scene where we get some backstory on Aidan and uncover that he used to front a black metal band. The music video is just genius and the song, Burn the Witch, is potentially the catchiest of the festival and is sure to stick in your head.
At the centre of the story we have the two characters of Aidan and Norman. In many ways they are different sides of the same coin. Although not immediately obvious, the two share several personality traits and as the narrative progresses, lines between the two blur as they move closer to becoming one fully formed person. Boru is close friends with both Hartland and Rogers and this dynamic is evident in the work on screen. It also helps that Hartland co-wrote the piece, his character of Aidan feels like a second skin for the actor and that time spent honing and shaping the narrative at the script stage has paid off. Rogers has potentially the harder role of the pair, but he manages to inhabit a low rent Louis Therroux personality perfectly.
It’s not just our core duo though, each cast member seems to have been cherry-picked for their parts. To some extent this is true as Boru populated as many of the roles as he could with friends and previous collaborators. These additional players all inhabit their own quirky creation, all a riff on classic stock characters. Of all of the supporting cast though, Kaitlin Reynell is especially good as super serious serial killer obsessive and groupie, Claire.
Quintessentially British in both appearance and humour, When the Screaming Starts has all the ingredients to be a great crowd pleaser. Witty, willful and wickedly amusing with this debut, Conor Boru asserts himself as a talented new voice in the genre sphere.
When the Screaming Starts
Summary
Humorously entertaining, When the Screaming Starts is sure to be a firm crowd favourite. Boru and his team beautifully skewer British sensibilities, serial killers, and crime documentaries in this cruelly killer comedy.
When the Screaming Starts was reviewed at Arrow Video FrightFest 2021.
