Three films to finish off the year…
First up, Sightseers is, like its characters, an oddity. It’s a dark comedy about finding love, breaking free of the things that hold you back, and murder. From the off, everything feels a little off, but not enough to be ridiculous. Things quickly descend, while staying true to the primary theme of love. It’s funny and slightly horrifying at times, in a way that really works for the move. Definitely worth seeing. (See my Sightseers Twitter review).
The Man With The Iron Fists, on the other hand (pardon the pun), is a very modern take on old martial arts films, with vague mysticism, clans, fighting, slightly camp villains, and general silliness. The fight sequences themselves are as over-the-top as you might expect and always fun to watch, even when some of the acting goes a little bit far for the B-movie joke. It’s as terrible and gaudy as intended. If you can appreciate the style, it’s a decent watch. (See my The Man With The Iron Fists Twitter review).
Finally, Safety Not Guaranteed is about journalists investigating an advert requesting a partner to travel in time. Expecting a prank or a nutcase, one gets drawn into the world of the stranger who posted the advert, whilst another tries to reunite with a lost love. Gimmick aside, the film is an interesting look at missed opportunities, the things that we wonder “what if?” about. On that level, it’s a good film, but the execution can, at times, be a little indie-by-numbers. You’ll get a feel for how it’s going to play out pretty quickly. Decent. (See my Safety Not Guaranteed Twitter review).
The winner for December is Sightseers. Where the other two flounder at times, Sightseers stays on path, even when things get strange.